IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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23  WIST  MAIN  STRiiT 

WIBSTIR.N.Y.  MSM 

(716)  •72-4903 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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D 


D 
D 


D 


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Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


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Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
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■\' 
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Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  rMuction  indiqut  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

t 

1 

Y 

12X                            16X                            20X                            24X                            28X                            32X 

lire 

details 
jes  du 
modifier 
ler  une 
filmage 


ies 


The  copy  filmed  here  hae  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  of  the  Pubiic 
Archives  of  Canada 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quaiity 
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first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
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or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shell  contain  the  symbol  -^^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  Y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

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different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exempiaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAntrositt  de: 

Lb  bibliothAque  des  Archives 
pubiiques  du  Canada 

Las  images  suivantes  ont  «t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettet*  de  l'exempiaire  film«,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
pepier  est  imprimte  sont  filmfo  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  ia 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'liiustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  ie  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fllm6s  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
ia  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  ie 
cas:  le  symbols  ^^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmto  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  11  est  fiimA  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagas  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


errata 
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B  pelure, 
on  A 


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2 

3 

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5 


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L  E  T  T  E  n  S 


IRISH    EMIGRATION. 


viitsr   I'riii.isiii'.i)    IN   Till-;    iKomv    iivii.v   advkhtiski! 


BY     EDWARD    E.    HALE 


BOSTON: 
PHILLIPS,    SAMPSON    &    COMPANY. 

1  8  f)  2  . 


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These  letters  were  first  published  in  the  Boston  Daily  Advertiser  in  Decem- 
ber, 1851,  and  January,  I85'2. 

Ill  colleciing  ihem  together,  I  have  made  such  additions,  as  the  pulilicalion 
of  new  dociiinents  peraiitied,  to  the  statistics  they  contained;  and  1  have 
annexed,  to  the  wh(de,  some  notes  and  tables  which  I  have  thought  would 
be  useful  in  reference. 

The  facts  and  statistics  in  these  letters,  have  been  collected,  from  time  to 
time,  in  the  course  of  tny  professional  duty,  as  a  minister  in  a  large  inland 
town.  Every  clergyman  will  understand  me,  when  1  say,  that  from  the  very 
first,  any  efforts  to  help  the  poor,  bring  up  the  whole  question  of  duty  to  the 
stranjjer  who  is  within  our  pates.  Whoever  is  attempting  systematic  relief 
must  meet  at  once  the  question,  whether  an  undue  share  of  that  relief  is  not 
claimed  by  foreigners.  I  found,  also,  very  early  in  my  experience  of  such 
matters,  that,  under  the  Statutes  of  Massachusetts,  it  is  much  easier  to  pro- 
vide from  the  generosity  of  the  public  for  the  unfortunate  born  among  our- 
selves of  our  own  blood,  than  for  those  as  deserving,  who  came  from  abroad, 
or  were  born  from  foreij>n  parents. 

1  found  it  very  hard,  however,  to  collect  the  statistics,  on  which  to  found 
any  opinion  or  argument  on  the  questions  of  duty  thus  presented.  And, 
therefore,  when  after  some  correspondence  and  cimversation  \v\\\i  gentlemen 
acquainted  with  the  subject,  I  had  brought  together  the  facts  which  are  em- 
bodied in  this  pamphlet,  I  felt  it  a  duty  to  publish  them  in  a  form,  which 
should  show  their  bearing  on  eff'orts  for  the  poor  in  this  community.  I  pub- 
lish them  now,  therefore,  with  the  hope  that  I  may  thus  save  some  others  the 
pains  wliich  it  has  cost  me  to  collect  them; — with  the  wish  that  with  the 
light  to  be  gained  from  such  facts  as  they  accumulate, — our  legislation  may 
sumo  day  be  im|>roved  ; — and  with  the  conviciion  that  the  more  widely  atten- 
tion is  called  lo  the  details  of  the  Great  Emigration,  the  more  extensive  will 
be  the  feelinsf  that  it  has  been  too  much  neglected  in  this  country  by  govern- 
ments and  public  men. 

With  such  objects  in  view,  I  have  sedulously  turned  aside  from  the  curious 
speculations  as  to  matters  of  politics  or  religion  which  connect  themselves 
with  this  Emiaration.  I  h  ive  uddressed  myself  only  to  the  measures  which 
are  taken,  and  ihose  which  might  be  taken,  to  conduct,  with  as  little  suffering 
as  possible,  this  removal  of  a  nation  from  one  hemisphere  to  another.  I  can 
hardly  enumerate  the  difl'erent  gentlemen  to  whose  kind  assistance  I  have 
been  indebted  in  these  inquiries.  The  energetic  officers  of  the  Massachusetts 
and  New  York  Emigrant  Commissions,  of  the  Boston  Society  for  Preventing 


Pnuprrisni,  of  the  Worcester,  New  York,  Philadelpliia,  and  Baltimore 
boards  of  Overseers  of  the  Poor, — with  many  other  persons  whom  1  need  not 
name  in  print,  have  my  hearty  acknowledgments  for  the  information  they 
iiave  furnislied  me.  1  am  glad  to  mention  these  gentlemen  here,  because  I 
can  thus  give  weight  to  the  opinion  which  has  called  forth  this  pamphlet. 
For  I  believe  they  all  agree  in  the  opinion,  of  which  none  can  bo  better  judges 
than  they,  that  thus  far  the  most  of  the  States  have  singularly  neglected 
systematic  arrangements  for  the  Emigrant.  For  even  the  state  of  New 
York,  whose  system  is  most  thorough,  sufTirs  from  the  negligence  of  her 
neighbors. 

EDWARD  E.  HALE. 
Worcester,  Mtmachuaetts,  Jan.  30,  1852. 


lialtimoro 
need  not 
tion  tliey 
because  I 
)aniplilet. 
er  Ju(li>ca 
neglecied 
of  JNew 
:e  of  her 


LETTERS    ON    EMIGRATION. 


NUMBER    1. 


tALE. 


r  R  E  r  A  R  A  T  I  O  N  S      FOR      PASSAGE. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  Boston  Daily  Advertiser. 

SiK, 

1  sliall  attempt  in  a  series  of  letters  to  bring  together  some 
notes  which  I  have  collected  on  the  emigration  from  Ireland  to 
America.  As  far  as  they  go,  I  am  sure  the  statistics  which 
tiiey  contain  may  be  relied  upon.  The  want  of  general  system 
in  the  oversight  of  this  immense  emigration  makes  the  collec- 
tion of  such  notes  dilficult.  There  is,  however,  in  the  midst 
of  that  want  of  general  system,  a  great  deal  of  action  by  local 
authorities.  And  by  application  at  a  number  of  ditlerent 
poiuts,  1  have  collected  the  facts  which  I  ask  you  to  publish  in 
your  paper. 

1  say  nothing,  in  the  outset,  of  the  importance  of  the  subject 
on  which  I  address  you.  In  the  midst  of  more  exciting  dis- 
cussions, and  in  face  of  a  general  indifference,  1  cannot  hope 
that  the  public,  or  a  large  part  of  it,  will  soon  embrace  my 
own  opinion,— that  this  transfer  of  immense  bodies  ot  people, 
from  one  climate,  government  and  state  of  society,  to  anoilicr 
wholly  different,  is  the  most  remarkable  social  phonomennu  of 
our  time, — and  that  which  requires  most  the  attent  ou  of  Gov- 
ernment, and  of  men  of  philanthropy.  On  this  l  ur.iclion,  I 
will  leave  the  figures  to  speak,  which  I  shall  bring  b,:  ore  you. 
1  shall  be  satisfied,  if,  when  this  series  of  letters  is  finisliod,  I 
shall  have  produced  a  conviction  on  the  minds  of  iutolligcnt 
readers,  that  our  State  Government  has  but  trifled  with  the 
management  of  its  share  of  the  responsibilities  of  this  inmiensc 
emigration  ;— and  the  national  Government  wholly  overlooked 
its  more  important  duties,  in  regard  to  it. 

I  devote  this  letter  to  the  emigrant's  preparations  for  a  pas- 
sage from  Ireland  to  America. 

It  seems  impossible  to  begin  a  step  further  back,  by  speakmg 
of  his  position  at  home.  I  have  read  every  thing  I  could  find 
on  the  condition  of  Ireland.     But  every  thing  one  reads  on 


p 


tlint  suhjpcl,  loaves  the  matter  darker  than  bel'ore.  1  liavc 
conversed  with  Irislimeii  and  Irishwomen, of  various  condiiioiis 
o(  hfe,  hoping  lo  draw  from  thf  m  such  details  as  miylit  tliro^ 
light  on  IreliMids  social  condition,  and  its  causes.  'I'o  eiiahle 
me  to  draw  (hem  on', —  I  have  lamiliiirized  my.self,  as  lar  as  I 
coidd.  with  local  matters  there, — and  have  kept  note,  as  1 
conUI,  of  what  I  conid  learn  in  such  conversations,  lint  it  is 
really  almost  nothimi.  In  conversing  with  himdreds  ol  emi- 
grniils  of  the  hiimhler  classes,  it  has  breii  from  one  or  two 
only  that  1  could  get  any  clear  idea  of  the  arrantjcmenis  of 
their  lives  at  home.  Tw(t  peculiarities  of  most  emigianis  foil 
yoii  in  such  efforts.  The  lirst  is  the  national  pride  of  the 
irishman, — thoiifjh  he  have  left  Ireland  forever.  He  is  resolved 
that  yon  shall  believe  it  to  be  the  gem  of  the  sea, r— and  will 
admit  noihinfj  that  should  throw  a  siain  upon  it  The  second 
is  the  great  monotony  of  his  life  at  home,  lie  travels  little 
there;  when  he  labors,  it  is  in  a  most  uneventlnl  way, — and, 
apparently,  he  is  very  idle  most  of  the  time.  He  therefore  has 
little  to  toll  if  he  remembered  it;  but,  more  than  this,  he  remem- 
bers very  liiile.  A  year  or  two  of  the  excitement  of  America 
seem  to  sweep  back  his  Irish  life  to  the  indistinctness  of  a 
dream. 

Letters  from  Ireland  are  singularly  unproductive.  Of  all  tlie 
letters  lo  emij.'rants  which  i  have  ever  seen,  1  do  not  now 
remember  one,  which  contained  much  more  than  congratula- 
tions that  the  reader  had  arrived  in  a  land  of  liberty, — and 
acknowledgments  of  remittances,  or  requests  for  them.  There 
is  (pnte  an  animated  correspondence  kept  up, — considerable  in 
its  amoniit,  though  from  the  ignoraiKte  of  the  parties,  very 
small  in  proportion  to  the  large  numbers  who  emigrate. 

The  competition  between  different  lines  of  packets  and  dif- 
ferent shipping  houses,  has  been  enough  to  scatter  through  the 
most  barl)aroiis  parts  of  Ireland  full  information  as  lo  the 
means  of  passage  to  America.  The  most  remote  villages 
receive  the  advertisements  of  difft^rent  lines,  just  as  we  find  in 
our  most  remote  villages  the  inducements  which  ihe  same 
lines  scatter  to  Irishmen  to  send  out  remiltances  and  passage 
tickets  for  their  friends. 

The  correspondence  from  this  country  carries  a  great  deal  of 
detailed  information,  and  at  present  it  is  the  principal  means 
of  supply  for  the  expenses  of  the  voyage.  An  emigrant  who 
has  succeeded  here,  sends  out  for  his  friends,  and  sends  money 
enough  to  bring  them.  Or,  which  amounts  to  the  same  thing, 
he  buys  here  passage  tickets  which  he  sends  to  them. 

It  is  impossible  to  tell  the  amount  of  sucli   remittances,  of 


course,   with 
Land  and  Enii 


Hut  the  Last  Report  of  the  llritish 
shows,  that  they  had 


precision 

ration  Commissioners, 


very 


® 


asocrfaitied,  iliat  in  18')(),  as  large  an  amount  as  .U9i"»7,()OS 
had  boon  rcniitiod  thus  in  small  sinns.  A  very  considoralilo 
amotuit  must  Itave  esca|)ed  their  observation.*  The  facililies 
for  niaking  such  remittances  increase  yearly. 

'I'lie  avt'rago  passage  money  for  nn  adult  may  be  called 
twenty  dollars;  for  a  child  fifteen.  This  is  the  rate  at  which 
passage  tickets  are  sold  in  HoAton,  to  be  sent  out  to  emigrants 
abiiiit  to  sail.  In  Liverpool,  the  price  varies  with  the  accom- 
modation, cVe.  From  Liverpool  to  New  York,  a  tick«u  is 
generally  X3.U).s. ;  to  Unebce,  five  shillings  less.  From  Lon- 
don to  J\ew  York,  the  rate  is  £1.10^. ;  to  Unebec,  £1  only. 

The  importance  of  this  business  to  ship  owners  will  readily 
be  seen.  iShips  of  large  accommodations  for  Ireighting,  which 
carry  out  our  bulky  raw  produce,  and  bring  back  the  more 
condensed  manufactures  of  England,  have  just  the  room  to 
spare,  which  is  made  into  accommodations  for  these  passen- 
gers. In  Mr.  Robert  U.  Minturn's  testimony  before  the  '■  Lords' 
(Jommittei;"  .lune  Hi),  1848,  he  says  that  tlie  amounis  [laid  tor 
the  passage  of  emigrants  go  very  far  towards  paying  the 
expense  of  voyages  of  ships  from  AiiiCnca  to  Lnrope  and  back. 

liy  far  the  larger  Jiumber  of  these  emigrants  collect  at  Liver- 
pool therefore, — the  large  commerce  of  that  port  olfering  all 
the  facililies  for  the  cheapest  |)assage.  Of  22\i,()7S  who  sailed 
from  the  United  Kingdom  to  tiie  United  Slates  in  1^5t), 
105,828  were  from  Liverpool,  31,297  were  from  Irish  ports, 
and  11,448  from  Scotch  ports.  The  ease  of  passage  from 
Ireland  to  Liverpool  carries  most  of  the  Irish  emigration  that 
way.  The  English  Commissioners  suppose  that  almost  all 
the  Liverpool  emigration  is  Irish;  certainly  much  more  than 
nine-tenths  of  it,  Uur  own  returns  at  JSew  York  contirm  this 
supposition. 

Ve.ssels  engaged  in  this  trade,  are  now  subject  to  a  double 
inspection.  In  Great  Britain  they  are  examined  by  English 
Ollicers,  that  it  may  be  known  that  they  comply  with  the 
British  statute, — and  here,  that  tliey  may  comply  wiih  ours. 
The  experience  of  the  awful  sntl'ering  of  emigrants  in  18  J7, 
when,  of  9U,0U0  who  embarked  for  Canada  in  Bntisli  vessels, 
lo,UOO  died  on  the  way,  or  after  arrival,  called  ihe  attention  of 
the  English  Covernment  to  the  necessity  of  a  more  stringent 
law  for  passenger  vessels.  Our  laws,  amending  former  statutes, 
had  passed  February  22,  and  March  2,  1847,  and  no  such 
terrible  sutTering  took  place  on  American  vessels.  The  English 
law  of  March,  1848,  covered  the  ground  with  care,  though  it 
was  not  yet  so  stringent  as  our  staiuie.     In  ihe  session  ol  i^ar- 

*  Some  mrnths  after  this  rrport  wns  irinde,  n  vrifer  in  tlie  Lor.don  Spectiito 
nffecilng  to  bo  well  inlcrmed,  esiimnteil  tlie  rcnjittniiies  lor  ItOl,  ut  i:6(j0,ll0  oiily 
I  mention  the  fact  here,  as  a  single  illustration  of  the  recklessness  as  to  sttiliktics  oV 


speculntorg  on  this  subject. 


} 


H 


8 

liamrnt  of  IS  19,  after  hearing  full  testimony  on  tlie  snbjpct, 
from  one  of  our  own  ship-owners  among  others,  th(!ir  present 
eHVetive  law  was  passed.  Addiiions  were  made  to  it  in  IS.")!). 
That  staliite  applies  to  all  vessels  sailing  from  Uritlsli  ports. 
'I'hi'ir  previous  statute  ap|)lied  to  llritisli  vessels  only.  It  is 
prepared  with  careful  rclerenee  to  tlie  comfort  of  the  emigrant, 
and  to  serun;  him  against  fraud.  I  will  take  another  occasion 
lo  speak  of  its  diMaiis,  which  are  carefidly  enlorced  hy  ollicers 
at  the  dilferent  sea-ports. 

'I'lie  LMMicral  oversiglit  and  enforcement  of  such  regulations 
is  [)lacf(i  iu  the  charge  of  the  "Colonial  Laud  and  Immigration 
( 'omunssiouers." — a  body  of  gentlemen  now  cousisluig  of 
Mi'ssrs.  T.  W.  (ylinton  Murdoch,  (■.  Alexander  Wood,  and 
Fri'di'ric  Iloyors.  'i'iiey  also  ]iublis!i  every  spring  for  wide 
circulation  among  those  proposiu'j:  lo  emigrate,  a  'Colonization 
Cir'-ular.-'  They  report  annually  to  the  Colonial  Secretary. 
Tiiere  is  appointed  at  every  largo  porta  "(iovernmcnt  Emi- 
gration odlcer,"  who  examines  all  outward  hound  vesst^ls 
l)i'f<»re  they  sail, — and  prosecutes  the  inaster  if  he  finds  cause, 
for  any  violation  of  law.  In  other  ports  the  inspection  is 
assigned  to  tiie  revenue  ollicers.  This  duty  i.-!  generally  car- 
ritul  out,  though  vessels  sometimes  slip  through  with  an  undue 
mnnher  of  passengers, — or  scantily  provisioned.  In  such  cases 
vessels  for  Canada  and  the  Provinces  are  reported  to  tlie  jjome 
authorities,  and  an  investigation  follows.  Where  prosecution 
is  followed  hy  a  fine,  one  half  the  tines  may  be  appropriated 
to  the  use  of  persons  injured,  by  the  justice  who  hears  the  case. 

Immigrants  do  not  themselves  usually  make  their  bargains 
with  the  masters  or  owners  of  ships, — but  are  brought  together 
and  put  onboard  by  some  "passenger  broker"  with  whom 
lliey  have  contracted,  and  who  furnishes  their  stores.  Instances 
of  fraud  and  cruelty  on  the  part  of  these  men  sometimes  take 
place,  but,  on  the  whole,  they  are  not  so  many  as  in  so 
immense  a  business,  one  might  have  feared.  The  English 
(jJovernment  has  taken  what  pains  it  could,  by  a  system  of 
licensing,  to  keep  in  order  the  passenger  brokers;  but  the 
great  competition  leads  to  frauds,  practiced  by  their  rnmiers, 
if  not  by  thein.  Within  the  last  two  years  the  establishment 
hy  Mr.  Sabell,  a  Cierman  gentleman,  in  Ijiverpool,  of  a  large 
Emigrant's  Home,  for  Germans,  has  shown  the  advantages  of 
such  an  establishment.  A  similar  one  is  to  be  established,  it  is 
said,  for  Roman  Catholic  Emigrants,  under  Catholic  auspices. 
The  Liverpool  Dock  Trustees  projiose  to  establish  another, 
under  suitable  directions.  Such  establishments  are  in  the 
hands  of  government  in  Hamburg.  They  receive  the  emigrant 
while  waning  for  his  passage;  and  attempt  an  improvement 
both  in  his  health  and  his  means,  when  he  fnirly  embarks  for 
his  iipw  home 


9 


Tlin  maiiiicr  in  whicli  ])atipor  rmij^raiits  are  shipped  to  this 
couiilrj',  rt((iiiros  some  spccilic  staUimoiit.  It  oiiijlit  to  be  iiii- 
d<>rsU)ti(l  iliiit  iIk!  Mriti.'-li  ^ovcriiinciit,  us  such,  (Iocs  not  iIim- 
^Tiii'ii  itscir  (lirctMly  Willi  this  piof'diiri!.  'I'lio  "('olnnial 
l.aii'i  and  l-lini^iiitioii  ( /'oiiifiiissiont'is,  '  liavesoriit!  Miiall  IiiimIs 
wliK'li  tlit>y  aiiinially  approprialu  to  n.ssisMiig  ciinuraiits.  liiil 
these  are  always  applied  to  emigrants  who  me  goini;  to  Aus- 
tralia or  its  neii'lihorhood.  Under  the  Poor  Law  Anu-iidiiiciit 
Act,  parishes  in  Kni^land  liave  the  power  to  send  uway  |»an- 
pers.  1  have  seen  a  return  as  late  as  1SJ7,  of  tiu!  ainonnt  to 
which  this  is  (lone.  Uy  this  return  it  would  seem  that,  in 
el»^ven  years,  they  had  not  ollen  availed  iheinsclves  of  this 
jjower.  Most  of  the  emigrants,  whom  they  did  send,  went  lo 
the  colonies  in  the  Sonlh  Paeilic.  The  remainder,  almost  all 
went  to  Canada,  and  only  lifty-sevcn  are  retnincd  as  sent  to 
the  I'liiled  Stales. 

In  IS  ir,  the  Pt»or  Law  system  was  extended  to  Ireland.  The 
Irish  Parishes  then  began  the  same  svsiein.  Uiit  it  is  not  yet 
very  extensively  carried  on.  There  are  in  all  Ireland  lOJi 
"  Unions,''  for  the  relief  of  the  poor.  The  last 'published  re- 
turns from  these,  were  made  in  IMay  last.  Fiom  May  1st, 
1S.')0,  to  A[)ril  1,  ISJjl,  only  53  had  sent  out  any  emmranls. 
The  total  number  sent  by  them  was  I7:il ; — a  very  larue  propor- 
tion of  whom  went  to  Cinebec.  ^03  only  were  sent  to  ports  in 
the  United  S^tates.  In  the  niontli  of  Marrh  last,  twenty-two 
l)ersous,  mostly  children,  sent  directly  Irom  poor  houses,  arri- 
ved at  the  port  of  Uo^lon. 

There  does  not  appear,  from  the  English  parliamentary  doc- 
tmients,  to  be  the  slightest  shame  connected  wiih  such  trans- 
actions. On  the  other  Inxnd  they  are  spoken  of  as  ctediiable 
to  the  public  s|)irit  of  the  parlies  concerned.  The  only  in- 
stance I  have  noticed,  where  ollicers  of  the  (lovernment,  other 
than  parish  oflicers,  acted,  as  such,  in  forwarding  emigrants, 
was  in  July,  1817,  when  the  Conunissioners  of  Woiid,^  and 
Forests,  sent  from  IJailykihliiie,  Roscommon,  dispo>eil,  in 
this  way.  of  a  body  of  "  Si|uatlers,"  who  had  nestled  down 
on  (jiovernmenl  Land  in  that  county.  The  Commissioners 
state,  very  coolly,  that  it  was  too  late  in  the  season  to  send 
them  to  Canada,  and  therefore  they  sent  them  to  New  York. 
This  shows  how  little  they  understand  the  prime  necessity  in 
a  humane  view,  of  an  arrival  here  early  in  the  year.  Tliey 
sent  ySG  of  these  persons  at  first,  and  g  ve  each  man  one 
pound  when  he  landed.  The  scheme  succeeded  so  well  that 
they  afterwards  sent  111  more. 

Large  piopri(Mors  in  Ireland  and  Scotland,  frequently  send 
out  their  teiuvntry  thus.  The  Marqnis  of  Normanby,  has 
thus  given  his  name  to  the  immense  poor-house  in  our  harbor, 


f 


10 

which  is  very  properly  known  as  Normanby  palace,  A  con- 
sidcrablo  proportion  of  his  people  liave  been  in  good  hcahh 
aiul  coiuJiiion,  but  there  have  bt^en  one  or  two  disgiacefii'.  ex- 
ceptions. Lord  Pahnerston  has  sent  out  in  former  years, 
lar^e  numbers  of  tenants.  So  many  of  them  came  in  misera- 
ble condition  to  New  IJrunswick  and  Canada,  that  the  author- 
ities there  made  a  great  outcry,  and  his  agents  were  obhged 
to  make  explanations  and  excuses,  liord  Pahnerston  himself 
did  not  in  the  least  appear  in  the  war  of  letters  which  arose. 
It  was  as  well  that  he  did  not.  On  the  1st  of  iS'ovembor, 
IS17,  42i  of  his  people  arrived  at  St.  John,  "the  whole  in 
the  most  abject  state  of  poverty  and  destitiUion,  with  barely 
sullicient  rags  to  cover  their  nakedness."  This  was  the  otlicial 
report  at  New  l}runswiek.  It  was  sent  to  iiOrd  Falmerston's 
agents,  who  replied  with  virtuous  indignation  : — "  the  state- 
ments made  of  ilieir  want  of  cloih'ug  will  surprise  your  liOrd- 
ship  very  much  when  we  inrorin  you  that  above  £101)  was 
laid  out  with  the  most  rigid  economy  in  procuring  for  them 
the  most  necessary  and  suitable  articles  of  clothing,  such  as 
blankets,  shoes  and  stockings,  llannel  petticoats,  shawls,  shifis, 
gowns,  tJcc,  for  the  females,  and  trowsers,  coats,  waistcoats, 
shirts,  hats,  caps,  and  wagoners,  for  the  men  and  boys."  It 
is  a  simple  calculation  to  see  how  far  this  munificent  kimdrcd 
poiDiils  would  go  in  such  a  distribution  among  four  hundied 
and  twenty-two  naked  and  starving  cotters,  who  iiad  been 
waiting  all  summer  for  a  passage. 

This  was  in  the  famine  sunnner,  however,  when  every  Irish 
land-owner  nuist  have  had  his  hands  full. 

iSor  have  I  any  disposition,  in  speaking  of  these  details  of 
abuse,  to  imply  that  the  great  advantages  of  the  great  provi- 
dential necessity  of  Irish  emigration  to  America,  do  not  more 
than  counterbalance  these  and  all  its  other  abuses. 

In  closing  this  article,  I  will  correct  a  careless  statement  in 
the  London  Spectator,  for  Oct.  I8th,  that  the  llood  of  emigra- 
tion is  a  gradual  growth  since  the  peace  of  1815.  Clradual  it 
is,  in  the  sense  that  it  was  then  very  small  and  now  very 
large.  JJut  it  received  the  immense  acceleration  which  gives 
it  now  the  importance  of  a  national  movement,  in  the  famine 
summers  of  1^17-48.  As  late  as  1814,  only  ()0,r)S4  persons  l.'ft 
Kimland  for  America: — Canada  and  the  United  Slates.  In  1845, 
90,311.  In  181().  l'J.j.078.  But  in  1847,  the  number  leaped 
to:>5LS34.  In  1848,  it  was  219,'-i'.t8,  and  in  1 8."30,  scarcely 
larutr  than  in  I84H.  This  year  it  will  amount  to  more  than 
3l)i).(ii)()  persons.  Up  to  1^48,  more  than  one-third  of  these 
emigrants  went  to  Canada.  Hut  the  Canadian  emigration  has 
ever  since  been  much  smaller. 

Dec.  :-!,  185L 


11 


No.  II. 


S  II  I  r  -  H  ()   A    11   u . 


Vessels  with  emigrants  from  Great  Britain  to  the  United 
Siatos,  must  comply  with  tiie  provisions,  botli  of  tlio  British 
Statute  of  IS  K>,  and  its  amendments  of  iSijO;  and  of  ours  of 
Feb.  22,  and  March  2,  1847;  and  May  17,  1848. 

Tiie  Anicrican  Statutes  require  tiiat  the  space  on  deck, 
unoccupied  by  stores  or  goods,  (except  passengers'  baggage,) 
shall  average  fourteen  square  feet  for  eacli  ])asseiiger, — man, 
woman,  or  child, — on  board,  excepting  infants  not  one  year 
old.  If,  between  decks,  there  is  not  a  space  six  feet  high,  the 
average  must  be  sixteen  square  feet  a  passenger; — and  if  less 
than  five  feet  liigli,  there  must  be  twenty-two  square  feet  a 
passenger.  If  an  orlop  deck  be  fitted  for  passengers,  they  are 
allowed  an  average  of  thirty  square  feet.  For  violation  of 
these  provisions  there  is  a  penalty  of  a  fine  of  $'A),  or  ini|)ris- 
onment  for  one  year,  as  for  misdemeanor.  There  may  not  be 
more  than  two  tiers  of  berths  on  any  deck: — the  decks  must 
be  real  decks,  firmly  built  with  floors,  six  inches  above  their 
timbers.  Nor  may  any  berths  be  smaller  than  six  feet  by 
eighteen  inches. 

These  regulations  were  drawn  up,  it  is  imderstood,  at  the 
suggestion  of  gentlemen  of  great  worth,  largely  interested  in 
tiie  direct  trade  between  England  and  New  York.  Their  ex- 
perience and  philanthropy  enabled  tiiem  to  prescribe  very 
proper  regulations  as  to  the  number  of  passengers,  which  were 
in  time  to  save  our  vessels  from  the  terrors  of  the  summer  pas- 
sage of  1847,  and  have  done  much  to  give  a  preference  to 
American  emigrant  vessels.  The  general  health  of  passengers 
ill  these  vessels  has  been  better  than  could  have  been  antici- 
pated. Suffering,  in  cases  where  it  lias  been  made  public,  has 
more  often  come  from  the  emigrant's  negligence  to  supply  his 
own  stores  suliiciently,  than  from  other  mismanagement. 

In  a  considerable  degree  this  dilTicnlty  has  been  met  by  our 
statute  of  May  17,  1848,  and  the  British  statute  of  1849. 


I 


12 

This  last  named  statute  restricts  the  luimbnr  of  passengers 
[rxoliidiiii,'  cahiii  |)n;«st'iii;ors|  to  an  averaan  of  one  for  every 
two  Ions  ot"  louijiien'd  loniiaue.  IJiit  as  it  pt  rniits  two  chddreu 
tiiidcr  (ourteiMi  to  he  coiniiod  as  one  passenger — does  not  re- 
(iniro  children  nnder  one  year  to  be  counted  at  all, — and  is 
resiricied  to  einiijiant  passengers, — its  terms  are  here  not  more 
stringent,  in  general,  tlian  our  statnte.  The  regulation  for  tlio 
avcraize  of  >uper(icial  room,  is  tliirty  feet  on  an  orlop  deck,  or 
other  deck  helow  the  second  deck, — and  twelve  feet  for  any 
(hn-k  ahove.  'I'he  ppiiiilty  for  u  larger  number  is  five  pounds 
for  each  passenger  beyond  such  numher,  with  which  the  ves- 
sel "clears  out  or  proceeds  on  her  voyatie."  The  act  provides 
also  for  [iroper  boats  on  board  ship,  and  that  no  powder,  skins, 
or  oiher  noxious  freight  l)c  taken. 

To  secure  the  passengers  against  tlieir  own  want  of  fore- 
sighi  in  providing  stores,  these  statutes  now  require  tliat  each 
vessel  shall  be  furnished  with  provisions,  on  the  following 
scale  for  each  passenger  : 


Water, 

Ship  bread, 
Wheat  flonr, 
Oat  meal, 
Rice, 
Salt  pork, 
Peas  and  beans, 
Potatoes, 


Amer.  Act. 

GO  gallons. 

15  pounds. 

10 

lU 

10 

10 

10 

35 


(1 
(I 


Hriiish  Act. 

r.2i 

gallons 

,50 

pounds 

20 

(( 

00 

K 

40 

(( 

22i 

(( 

Potatoes  may  be  substituted 
for  meal  or  rice;  5  lbs.  for  one. 

The  English  act  requires  that  these  suppHes  shall  be  served 
out.  one  twentieth  part  twice  every  week; — our  act  requires 
that  one  tenth  shall  he  served  every  week,  with  sullicieni  fuel 
for  cookmg.  The  penalty  under  our  act,  is  a  payment  of 
$3  00.  to  be  paid  to  every  person  put  on  sliort  allowance  for 
every  day  of  such  short  allowance.  The  English  act  makes 
owners  and  masters  liable  in  a  tine  of  £100  for  any  deliciency. 

A  recent  English  arrangement  recjuires  a  discipline  and 
arranaemeiit  for  cooking,  jfcc,  similar  to  those  in  force  in  the 
long  Australian  voyages. 

iiy  the  English  act,  two  ounces  of  tea  and  half  a  pound  of 
sugar  and  of  molasses  is  to  be  served  out  twice  a  week  for 
each  pa>seiiger.  If  more  than  100  passenijers  embark,  the 
sinp  must  provide  a  medical  practitioner  and  a  passengers' 
codk.  ii  should  be  understood  that  the  provisions  which  the 
shi|)  is  compelled  to  take  are  not  intended  for  the  emigranl's 
sole  reliance.     He  provides  otiier  stores  for  himself. 


13 


for  every 

0  children 
Bs  iioi  re- 
I, — and  is 
!  not  more 
1011  for  the 
p  deck,  or 

1  for  any 
/e  poiuuls 
I  the  ves- 
t  provides 
Jer,  skins, 

t  of  fore- 
that  each 
following 

Act. 

lions, 
inids. 

a 
(( 
u 
(( 

iibstitnted 
IS.  for  one. 

be  served 
I  requires 
cient  fuel 
yineiit  of 
uance  for 
ct  makes 
eliciency. 
)line  and 
ce  in  the 

pound  of 
week  for 
bark,  the 
issengers' 
liich  tfie 
tiiigrani's 


The  violat  .  s  of  the  important  parts  of  these  statutes,  are 
coniparalivLJy  lOW. 

Of  the  voyaiie  itself,  it  is  difllcnlt  to  cive  a  very  distinct  ac- 
count, unless  yon  have  yourself  crossed  from  Ireland  or  L^iver- 
pnol  to  America  in  the  steerage.  ]\o  Irisiiman  whom  I  ever 
met  could  t(^ll  me  much  about  it.  Mr.  Stephen  E.  I)e  Veru,  a 
fine  spM'iled  L'ii)glish  gentleman,  on  his  way  to  otiicial  duty  in 
(Jaiiada,  took  sieerage  passage  in  one  of  the  f(!ver  stricken 
emiurant  ships  of  the  lalai  summer  of  IS  17.  He  wrote  home 
a  fearful  account  of  its  horrors,  which  had  its  share,  1  suppose, 
in  procuring  the  new  statutes  of  ISIS  and  1S49  by  wliic^h  those 
liorri)rs  jvere  nmeh  abated.  '^I'liis  paper  is  the  only  liill 
account  of  a  passage  in  print,  and  it  relates  to  a  time  already 
gone  by. 

A  family  of  settlers,  in  the  cliarge  of  a  shipping  agent,  are 
put  by  him  on  board  the  first  of  the  vessels  ol  his  lines  which 
is  ready.  People  sometimes  cross  and  land  here  without 
knowing  what  is  the  name  of  the  vessel  in  which  ihey  come. 
On  board,  they  meet  for  the  first  time  with  their  fellow  pas- 
sengers, constituting  a  party  of  all  numbers,  up  to  11  or  1200. 
If  the  vessel  sails  (rom  l,iver|)ool,  there  will  be  among  them 
all  a  few(jerinans  perhaps,  for  liiere  are  arrangements  in  Lon- 
don for  receiving  (jermaii  eniigraiits  by  steam  packet  and  for- 
warding (hetn; — there  will  he  a  few  Hnglish  fiiinilies  from  the 
manufacturing  towns, — a  few  Scotch  ;  but  the  great  company 
of  those  who  arc  swarming  over  will  be  Irish  adventurers. 

The  emigrant  deck,  or  decks,  extend  nearly  the  whole 
lenyth  of  the  vessel.  Two  or  more  large  hatches  open  into  it, 
which  are  open  whenever  the  weather  permits.  The  Auht- 
ican  Statute  requires  that  these  hatches  shall  he  covered  with 
houses,  a  provision  quite  essential  in  stormy  weather.  The 
sides  of  the  vessel  aie  partitioned  into  alcoves,  wholly  opi  n 
toward  the  hall,  so  to  speak,  of  the  open  deck.  Each  of  these 
is  lariic  enough  to  contain,  below,  the  chests  of  the  passeni;ers, 
— and  above  a  very  large  berth, — made  up  of  what  bedding 
they  will, — which  serves  for  one,  two,  three,  or  if  there  he 
little  children  perhaps  more  together.  The  law  piohihits,  as 
lias  been  seen,  more  than  two  ranges  of  berths  on  one  deck. 
In  the  spaces  beneath  the  open  liatches,  and  aroiuid  them, 
there  is  light  enough  for  any  work,  or  for  reading.  Here, — if 
they  are  well  enough, — coiiiiregate  ic^gether,  on  chests  or  other 
seats,  the  parties  of  emigrants, — these  beina;  the  drawing-room 
])arts  of  the  decks  on  which  they  live.  On  the  upper  deck, 
forward,  there  are  parts  of  the  ship  where  they  may  walk  or 
sit  in  the  open  air. 

The  vessels  frequently  are  as  full  as  the  statutes  permit. 


Hi 


14 


You  can  easily  calculate  tlie  degree  of  confinement,  from  the 
provisions  which  ]  have  quoted. 

HcCoro  tlie  emigrant  can  go  on  board  at  Liverpool,  lie  must 
he  fxaniiiiod  by  a  medical  inspector.  iNledical  men  are  licensed 
by  the  authorities  to  makt'  he  requisite  examinations,  and 
allowed  a  fee  of  one  guinia  for  every  hundred  jiersons  in- 
spected. Tiiey  must  certify  that  the  emigrant  has  no  con- 
tauious  disease;  and  they  also  examine  the  ship's  medicine 
chests,  to  see  that  they  are  properly  provided.  If  the  emigrant 
is  free  from  contagious  disease,  the  physician  stamps  his  ticket 
Aviih  a  certificate  to  that  eil'ect. 

"^I'lie  passengers  go  on  board  ships  at  the  time  directed  by 
the  passenger  broker.  Most  of  the  Liverpool  ships  are  at 
Waterloo  Dock.  The  correspondent  of  the  Morning'-  C/iiviiic/c, 
on  the  iiiverpool  l^ahor  and  the  Liverpool  I'oor,  gave,  a  year 
since,  a  graphic  deseripiion  of  the  scene.  Its  illustration  of 
Irish  eharaclcr  is  quite  the  same  as  one  may  see  on  an  arrival 
here.  He  went  down  the  Mersey  in  an  en)igrant  vessel. 
"There  was  not,"  he  says,  "a  wet  eye  on  board;  there  liad 
been  no  fond  leave-takings;  no  llirevvells  to  England;  no 
pangs  at  parting.  Fossihiy  there  was  no  necessity  for  any. 
'J'o  lunety-niiie  out  of  a  hundred  of  these  emigrants  the  Old 
Country  had  been  in  all  probuhility  an  unknul  mother,  a 
coiuitry  of  sorrow  and  distress,  associated  only  with  remem- 
brances of  poverty  and  sud'ering.  1  nuist  confess  i  expected  to 
see  something  like  the  expression  of  a  regret  that  the  shores  of 
Lntiland  would  so  soon  fade  from  their  view  forever, — some- 
tliiim  like  melancholy  at  the  thought  that  they  never  more 
were  to  revisit  the  shores  of  Lurope  ;  but  nothing  of  the  kind 
occurred.  All  was  noise,  hurry,  and  animation.  They  had 
made  up  their  minds  for  a  long  jouriu>y  ;  hope  was  helbre 
them,  and  nothing  behind  them  but  the  remembrance  of  mis- 
ery." 

IJefore  the  ship  leaves  the  Mersey,  a  search  is  made  for  sfoi/;- 
(iin/i/s.  'I'hese  are  persons  who  have  secreted  themselves, 
with  the  concurrence,  perhaps,  of  |)assengers,  m  hope  of  get- 
tiua:  a  passage  for  nothing.  The  JMitntcziiiiKi  once  had  ten 
such  appear,  when  she  was  well  at  sea, — with  a  claim  on 
liumaniiy  for  provisions,  of  course, — while  they  had  nothing 
wiih  which  to  pay  for  their  passage.  An  indii^Miant  captain, 
two  years  ago,  (1  do  not  know  his  name,)  threatened  to  tar 
and  feather  any  he  should  detect  before  lie  got  to  sea;  and  ho 
was  as  good  as  his  word  wiih  one  poor  creature.  IJut.  it  is  said, 
he  has  not  dared  to  sail  to  Liverpool  again.  'J'he  search  is  made 
by  calling  all  the  passengers  on  deck,  and  sending  the  proper 
ollicers  below  to  inspect  every  cranny  w'^ere  one  of  these  brave 


I 


,  from  the 

1,  he  must 
re  licensed 
lions,  and 
)ers()iis  ill- 
's no  con- 
!  modicino 
3  emigrant 
I  liis  ticket 

lirectcd  by 

ips  are  at 

C/iroiiic/c, 

ve,  a  year 

stratiun  of 

an  arrival 

lit  vessel. 

tiiere  had 

flaiid  ;    no 

/  lor  any. 

IS  the  Old 

inothor,   a 

h  reniem- 

icpccted  to 

shores  of 

, — soine- 

n-er  more 

the  Uiiid 

'hey  liad 

/as  before 

of  llllS- 

for  fi//w> 
iMuselves, 
)(!  ol   got- 

liiid  ton 
claim  oil 
i  nothiiii^r 

t  captain, 

cd  to  (ar 
;  and  lie 

it  is  said, 
1  is  made 
le  proper 

esc  brave 


15 

unfortunates  may  have  concealed  himself.     If  one  is  detected, 
lie  is  sent  at  once  on  shore. 

Thou  comes  the  calliiiii;  tlio  roll.  The  pnssonizors  pass 
tliroiiah  a  passage  left  lor  them,  as  their  names  are  calliil. 
'I'lie  captain  thus  sees  whom  he  has  on  board.  Sometimes  lit! 
iiiids  a  yoiiiii;  man  of  nineteen  wiih  a  child's  ticket,  'riure 
are,  of  course,  many  points  about  his  ])eople  of  which  lu;  needs 
to  satisfy  himself  thus  early.  They  are  then  dismissed  to 
their  berths,  and  the  misery  of  sea-sickncss  as  the  vessel  gets 
to  sea. 

Of  course  to  estimate  properly  the  conveniences  or  incon- 
veniences of  the  passage,  you  must  take  the  certainty  of  sea- 
sickness into  account, — and  that,  too,  it  must  be  remembered, 
is  the  sickness  of  people  (piite  unused  to  caring  for  tin  niselves. 
i\Ir,  de  Vere"s  phrase,  that  "after  a  week,  tht;  einii;rant  on 
ship  board  is  a  changed  being," — so  prostrated  is  he  by  the 
inlluences  of  conliuement, — is  probably  true,  under  more  fa- 
vorable circumstances  than  those  he  wrote  of  It  is  true  even 
of  most  cabin  passengers  wliose  lirst  voyage  I  ever  heard 
described. 

Every  inducement  which  interest  or  statute  can  bring  to 
hear,  rests,  under  the  present  legislation,  on  the  captains  to 
bring  their  living  freight  over  in  good  health,  (jienrrally 
speaking,  in  our  packets,  the  men  in  command  nii(lersiand 
their  business,  and  undertake  with  real  spirit  this  humane 
responsibility.  It  is  the  general  agreement,  1  believe,  that  the 
real  difficulty  in  carryiny  it  out  is  in  the  dullness  of  the  poor 
sea-tossed  emigrants  themselves.  But  an  ell'ort  is  made,  and 
generally  with  success,  to  have  the  berths  cleaned  daily, — to 
have  the  decks  as  well  ventilated  as  possible,  and  ke[)t  clean. 
I'iVen  these  provisions  require  a  good  deal  of  sternness  on  the 
part  of  the  oflicers  who  carry  them  out.  A  sea- sick  person 
will  not  hear  to  reason  more  than  to  any  other  voice,  if  lie  can 
help  It. 

Besides  the  ship's  rations,  the  emigrant  ought  to  liavo  some 
stores  of  his  own.  Before  the  late  liriti>h  statute,  this  was 
necessary  to  a  larger  amount  than  now.  Cooking  places  are 
provided  for  them,  and  they  organize  themselves  at  ])leasnro 
into  messes,  each  of  which  has  its  coolc,  who  takes  the  charge 
of  preparing  the  meals.  Arraiigeinenls  more  precise  than  this, 
are,  as  I  have  said,  now  proposed.  The  ship's  supplies  are 
served  out  twice  a  week.  For,  as  two  govermneiils  regulate 
the  matter,  the  more  severe  re(pusitioiis  of  each  must  be  com- 
plied with.  A  (lescrii>iion  of  the  sullering  from  starvation  oil 
the  ship  '-Speed,"  of  St.  .loliii,  which  had  twelve  weeks  pas- 
sage to  IN'cw  York,  in  the  aiiiimm  and  winter  of  181S.  as  I 
received  it  from  some  of  those  who  shared  them,  was  one  of 


i 


II  ,; 

I  '  'I- 

I' 

\ 

lit  ' 

h 


i 


the  most  terrific  accounts  of  lingoring  distress.  lint  it  was  a 
vaso  which  bnloiiiis  of  course  raihor  to  the  general  hazards  of 
thi'  s(M,  than  to  this  piirticiihir  eniiuraiion. 

Aficr  all.— the  comfort  or  disciMufort,  the  Iieahh  or  the  sicic- 
iiess  in  a  j)articiilar  |)assaiie.— doponds  upon  the  weather, — 
the  winds, — the  previons  condition  of  the  passengers, — and  a 
wiirld  of  other  nninaiiageahle  circnmstancos.  I  have  known 
some  of  the  finest  vessels,  under  careful  captains,  bring  in,  after 
a  short  run,  a  sickly  and  stitfcring  Ireight  of  passengers,  on  the 
same  d.iy  when  a  heavy  hudt,  carelessly  arrayed  ship,  with 
a  conunaiider  unused  to  the  trade,  came  in  with  a  good  hill  of 
heahli.  The  reason  for  such  dilfeieiice,  is  soineiimes  that  the 
passengers  of  the  lirst  have  been  at  sea  in  another  ship,  and 
liave  put  back, — so  as  to  sail  already  exhausted: — or  they 
have  het'u  lou<^  waiting  passage  at  the  port  they  sailed  from,  or 
for  some  other  reason,  were  not  in  good  condition  for  the 
i(\striction  and  other  hardships  of  the  voyage.  Tlie  provision 
for  tl(Mained  passengers,  humane  enough  in  its  intention,  of  the 
Miitish  passauf!  aiU,  a<mravates  danger  of  stich  passengt-rs' 
sailing  iiiiprfpared.  It  provides,  that  •'  in  a  case  a  failure  of 
the  voyage  arises  fnun  wreck  or  any  other  accident  or  default 
aflt'r  the  voyage  has  actually  begun,  the  passengers  are  entitled, 
within  six  weeks  at  fartiiest,  to  a  passage  in  some  eligd)le  ves- 
sel, and  in  the  meantime  to  be  maintained  by  the  inasier." 

Ill  the  winter  of  lSll)-5()  some  ships  were  obliged  to  put 
back,  after  haviiiii  been  out  TO  days; — their  passenuers  were, 
of  course  transferred,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  other  vessels,  by 
th(!  masters,  who  were  responsible.  It  is  not  surprising  that 
among  such  passengers,  thus  reduced,  ship-fever  sliould  break 
out,  whatever  the  vessel  s  accomtnodatioiis.  1  fiardly  need 
mention  to  intelligent  readers,  thai  tiie  ship-fever,  coiTimonly 
SD-called,  is  a  severe  form  of  Irish  typhus; — a  disease  wholly 
dilF'^reiit  from  the  typhoid  fever,  long  known,  under  various 
names,  in  New  I'liiglaiid, 

The  Mormon  emiuiaiits  have  exeellent  discipline  and  ar- 
raiiijements.  Kach  company,  when  it  arrives  at  liiver|)ool,  is 
under  charge  of  a  president,  and  six  coinmit'ee  men,  who 
make  all  its  barsains,  keep  watch  on  board  ship,  and  direct 
all  inovemenis.  The  result  is  that  their  passages  have  gener- 
allv  been  made  very  successfully. 

Oil  the  voyaiie,  the  passeiiaers  of  course  make  many  new 
friends,  among  those  whom  tiie  bazard  of  the  date  of  the  ship's 
sailiiiL'  has  ilinuvn  togeilier.  On  a  siimle  slii|)  then;  are  eini- 
graiils  from  in  uiy  counties,  and  even  iVoin  many  countries. 
'J'liere  is  no  reason  why  in  the  long  leisure  of  the  passage, 
there  should  not  spring  up  a  pleasant  good  fellowship.  Yon 
often  Ihid  that  some  two  or  three  children  are  pets  of  the 


17 


It  it  was  a 
haziirds  of 

ir  tlio  siclc- 
weailxM', — 
rs, — ami  a 
ive  known 
itig  in,  alier 
iers,  on  tlio 
ship,  with 
gooti  hill  of 
cs  that  the 
■r  sliip,  atul 
: — or  they 
led  from,  or 
ioii   lor  the 
le  provision 
iiioii,  of  the 
passengers' 
1  failure  of 
t  or  default 
arc  entitled, 
I'ligdile  ves- 
asier." 
ged    to  ptit 
mers  were, 
ve^sels,  by 
rising  that 
oiild  break 
ardly   need 
comiuoidy 
ase  w holly 
er  various 

no  and  ar- 

iver[)(iol,  is 

men,   who 

and  direct 

ave  gener- 


whole  party.  I  remember  hearing  on  the  arrival  of  a  vessel, 
some  of  the  young  people  joining  for  the  last  time  in  a  song, 
which  the  poet  of  the  coitipany  had  written  in  glorification  of 
their  vessel.  They  land  here  to  scatter  again, — in  every 
direction, — and  never  to  meet  again. 

The  first  time  I  ever  went  on  board  an  emigrant  vessel 
coming  up  the  harbor,  I  was  surprised  and  disappointi^d  at  the 
entire  lack  of  interest  the  passengers  took  in  their  arrival;  as 
the  "Chronicle's"  correspondent  was  surprised  when  they 
sailed.  They  were  busy  enough  about  their  chests  and  other 
lutigage, — but  it  seemed  more  the  worried  interest  of  a  person 
provoked  that  he  must  move  from  quarters  he  is  well  used  lo, 
than  any  enihusiasm  thai  they  had  reached  the  object  of  their 
search. 

I  sailed  up  the  bay  of  New  York  with  them, — and  of  more 
than  three  hundred  emigrants,  who  had  been  coojied  up  in  one 
vessel  for  eight  weeks,  I  did  not  see  one,  who  seemed  imeresied 
even  in  looking  upon  the  land  they  had  come  to.  I'erhaps 
their  curiosity  had  been  exhausled  at  Sandy  Hook.  IJut, 
though  we  arrived  at  the  wharf  at  eight  o'clock  that  night,  I 
know  they  all  slept  on  board  the  ship,  putting  off  till  tomorrow 
any  slight  curiosity  *.hey  might  have  felt  as  to  their  new  home. 
It  is  true  that  the  captain  resolutely  kept  olf  all  the  emigrant 
runners,  who  that  night  beset  his  vessel. 

In  1819  the  average  length  of  a  passage  from  Liverpool  to 
Quebec,  was  45  1-3  days;  to  New  York  about  35  days.  From 
Loudon  to  diiebec,  the  average  was  52  3-4  days;  to  New  York 
43  1-2  days. 

In  the  hope  of  inducing  steamers  to  take  emigrant  passen- 
gers, the  British  statute  lias  lately  been  so  altered,  as  to  require 
provisions  in  them  for  forty  days,  where  sailing  sliips  are 
required  to  provide  for  seventy. 

There  is  a  good  accoiuit  of  a  German  emigrant  passage  from 
llrenien  to  New  York,  in  that  sprightly  and  very  clever  book, 
"  Wanderings  and  Adventures  of  some  German  Emigrants." 
Vessels  from  Hamburg,  and  IJremen,  and  the  north  of  Europe, 
have  delivered  their  passengers  generally  in  as  good  condition 
as  the  best  American  vessels. 


many  new 
the  ship's 
are  eiiii- 
nouiilnes. 
I  passage, 
lip.     You 

)ets  of  the 


18 


No.   ITT. 


N  U  M  1(  i;  11     ()  1'     E  M  I  (i  11  A  N  T  S 


.'( 


m 


m 


Tlio  roliable  sources  of  information  as  to  the  mimbor  of 
cmiuranis  wlio  arrive  in  this  coiuilry,  are  : — 

1st.  The  Aimual  Reports  of  the  New  York  Emigration 
Coiniiiissionors.  These  deserve  to  be  placed  first,  I'rom  their 
coiniik'teiii'ss  of  arrantremeiit  and  classifu-ation.  Ahont  ihreo- 
fourihs  of  tlie  arrivals  in  the  United  Slates  are  incinded  in 
tlieni.  'I'liey  are  made  np  aiuiually  to  the  end  of  tiie  calendar 
year. 

2d.  The  Annnal  Report  of  tlie  British  Colonial  Land  and 
Etnieration  Commissioners.  This  gives  only  the  number  of 
British  Emigrants,  without  distinguishing  sexes;  or  nations, 
as  liiiglisli.  Scotch,  Welch  and  Irish.  It  is  made  np  annually 
to  the  end  of  the  calendar  year. 

3d.  The  Annual  Return  to  Congress,  nnder  the  act  of  March 
2,  1810;  showing  the  number  of  passengers  arriving  by  sea  in 
the  United  States  in  each  year.  This  document,  as  published 
lor  the  last  year  or  two,  is  as  useless  as  so  many  facts  can 
well  be.  It  tells  of  particular  passengers  whether  they  were 
live  or  six  years  old  ;  or  whether  they  were  joiners  or  ship 
carpenters;  but  then  foots  up  together  in  two  great  totals  the 
number  of  men  who  landed,  and  the  number  of  women  ;  with 
no  distinction  besides.  These  totals  include  Americans  re- 
turning from  foreign  voyages.  The  return  was  formerly  made 
up  to  close  with  the  calendar  year.  But  Mr.  ("alhoun  took 
away  the  only  means  of  comparing  it  easily  with  the  other 
returns,  by  making  it  begin  and  end  with  October;  and  since 
his  administration,  it  has  so  continued.  Fortunately,  however, 
each  quarter  is  returned  separately. 

4th.  The  report  of  Mr.  Mnnroe,  our  Superintendent  of  Alien 
passengers,  gives,  without  sex  or  nation,  the  number  of  arrivals 
from  dillerent  ports  in  Massachusetts.  Local  documents,  in 
Baliimorc,  Philadelphia,  tVc,  show  the  arrivals  in  those 
places. 

From  these  sources  I  compile  the  following  tables,  which  go 
as  far  back  as  we  shall  need  in  the  inquiries  into  which  I  shall 
enter. 

There  arrived  by  sea  in  the  United  States,  the  persons  indi- 
cated in  the  years  noted  below,  including  Americans.     By 


mimbor  of 

liniipration 
from  their 
hoi  It  three- 
iicliided  ill 
ic  calendar 

Land  and 
niimher  of 
or  nations, 
p  annually 

:t  of  March 

^  by  .sea  in 

s  published 

'  facts  can 

they  were 

?rs  or  sinp 

t  totals  tlie 

men ;  with 

ericans  re- 

icriy  made 

Ihonn  took 

the  other 

and  since 

',  however, 

nt  of  Alien 

of  arrivals 

uments,  in 

in    tliose 

!,  which  go 
lich  I  shall 

srsons  indi- 
icans.     By 


19 

compilations  from  successive  rcjjorts,  I  restore  the  Cjlovcrnment 
st^itement  to  one  made  up  for  cacli  calendar  year.  Unfortii- 
uatcly  there  is  no  record  of  arrivals  from  Canada;  but  the 
English  returns  supply  this  deficiency  in  part.  It  will  be 
observed  that  this  table  includes  returning  Americans: — 


In    1811  thnre  arrived 
18  ir.  " 


03,307  persons. 
13(),7.'JU         " 


IHIO  "               17:{,0:i5 

1817  "  038,07(5 

1818  "  !J  1-2. 180 

1819  "  y'J8,r..l3 
1850  to  Oct.  1,  250,881 


1811  to  October 

October  IHll  " 

"         1815  ' 

"         181(i  ' 
♦'         1817 
"          1818 

"          181!)  " 


'15 
'40 
'47 
'48 
'4!) 
'50 


i'omalpa. 
30,531 
4i),'200 
00.778 
I)!), 305 
02,883 
110,015 
113,303 


Sex  not  stilted. 


1  he  proportion  of  males  to  females,  may  be  seen  in  the 
following  table : — 

50,400 

60,188 

00,073 
130,106 
130,108 
170,053 
200,003 


1406 
807 
080 
472 
443 

1038 


Tlie  emigration  from  Great  Britain  in   the 


was 


To  Britisli  I'rovinces.         To  United  States. 


1814 
1SI5 
1810 
1817 
1818 
1840 
18.-)0 
1851  lo  April 


■  31,803 
43.430 

•   lOO.OSOf 
31,005 

■  41.307 
33,001 

.•{0  14,05:; 


43,000 

.58,538 

80,030 

138,H(iO 

188,2.33 

210.450 

203,078 

80,031 


To  Australasia. 

2,209 

830 

2,:!47 

4,049 

23,004 

33,101 

10,037 


same  years, 

Total 
to  all  points.* 

70.686 
03,501 
120,851 
258,270J 
248.080 
200,408 
280,849 


These  are  as  late  as  the  English  and  United  States  returns 
have  yet  reached  us.  But  the  following  table  from  local 
returns  give  some  further  details  : — 


AUI 

ilVALS    IN 

Massaclinsetts. 

New  York. 

I'hilailolpliia. 

Baltiinore. 

Louisiana, 

1848 

189,170 

1810 

200,603 

31,159 

1850         30,075 

210,790 

6,772 

00,037 

1851^      27,050 

080,001 

16.000 
[lo  Nov.  1.] 

[to  Oct.  1.] 

*  Tliiit  is :  to  the  British  North  American  Provinces,  t:nited  States,  Wisl  /mlu')i 
and  Australasia,  ' 

t  Of  whom  inoro  than  17,000  died  on  the  passage,  or  at  quarantine. 

i  This  is  the  total  as  piven  by  the  British  Commissioners  in  their  own  tables. 
Their  first  return  was  249,708;  another  which  I  think  most  correct,  is,  2(51,104.  But 
I  leave  this  as  ii  enters  into  all  their  computations. 

sS  Since  this  letter  was  written,  the  close  of  the  vear  enables  me  to  comoleto  some  of 
these  statistics. 


f 


I 


Jll 


'20 

Noiio  of  tlie  above  stntomonts  iiicludo  nny  returns  from 
('iiliCurniu.  cxcopliiit,'  llie  lust  (|iiarli!r  of  IS  111,  and  tlie  yrar 
H.'iii.  Ill  ilif  Aiiu'iicaii  rt'liinis,  In  iSI'.>,  1  10  persons  sailed 
Iniiii  (ileal  IJiiiani,  diiect  to  Calilornia.  In  liSjO,  lliere  wcro 
Ci'.il  who  Hindis  that  passaue. 

I  would  call  your  attention  especially,  in  the  above  tables, 
to  tlie  yiadiial  decrease  of  enuuration  to  the  I'rovinces,  coin- 
j)  ircd  uitli  the  increast'  to  the  United  Slates.  The  arrivals  in 
Alassaolniseils  this  year  are  10I*.»  less  than  in  the  same  period 
last  year.  I  IS."}  alien  steerage  passeiiijers  have  sailed  from 
Moston.  on  llieir  return,  since  the  year  began.  Of  the  ■.i7,(l.')G 
who  arrived,  ll)^?  have  been  here  hefore.  In  IS  IT,  (he  terri- 
ble fainiiie  year,  a  part  of  the  famine  was  on  the  sea.  Tho 
jxjor  pushed  forward,  and  were  ftiished  forward  from  Ireland, 
and.  as  I  have  already  explained,  the  snll'iirings  in  Hritisli 
vessels,  such  as  only  could  then  trade  with  the  Provinces,  was 
terrihie.  Canada,  appalled  with  the  iiillnx  of  siitferinir,  passfd 
a  very  severe  law  prescrihine  the  heaviest  "head  money"  for 
eniiiiranis  yet  attempted.  These  two  canses  largely  partici- 
)):ii('d  with  any  growing  popularity  of  the  United  Stales  in 
tnrning  the  stream  to  ns.  The  burden  of  the  law,  while  it 
lasted,  was  really  severe  on  passenger  vessels  to  Canada. — 
Once  tinned,  the  stream  so  far  sii|)plies  itself,  by  directions 
hence,  thai  it  proceeds  in  the  way  it  has  begun.  Ilmigrdiils 
passing  hy  sea  from  I'rovincft  to  Province,  pay  head  money 
at  every  new  transfer  of  inrisdiction. 

The  head  money  in  the  Provinces  is  now  less  than  in  our 
ports,  and  it  is  really  cheaper,  I  believe,  to  go  to  the  West 
through  Quebec,  than  through  New  York;  but  the  colonies 
cannot  draw  back  the  harvest  they  received  in  the  panic  of 
1S17. 

IJefore  the  year  of  famine,  however,  a  larae  emigration  from 
Canada  across  the  border,  and  from  the  Allaniic  provinces  to 
our  ports  went  on,  as  it  (h»es  still.  A  recent  (yanadian  act  re- 
Iniids  half  the  head  money  to  passengers  who  go  at  once  to 
the  Western  Slates  hy  the  Canadian  public  works.  Of  2')!^,- 
221  emigrants  who  landed  in  Canada  and  yiew  l?rnnswick, 
beiween  \>\')  and  1S.")(),  more  than  73,()(H)  proceeded  in- 
stantly to  the  United  States.  Of  .32,()18  who  landed  in  Canada 
in  IS.IO.  13.723  niok  this  course  at  once.  In  New  IJrunswick, 
in  I'-oO,  only  1,507  arrived  at  all;  showing  a  great  decrease 
from  former  years.  We  receive  head  money  on  all  who  ar- 
rive by  sea  from  the  Provinces,  as  if  lliey  had  come  direct 
fioiii  lr(!laiid. 

I  have  inserted  a  few  memoranda  of  the  emigration  from 
Great  Britain  to  Australasia,  (iricluding  New  Zealand.)     This 


i 


21 


urns  from 
I  the  yi'ur 
oils  .Sillied 
I  lie  re  were 

ve  tulilcs, 

IICOS,   COIIl- 

[irrivals  in 
imo  |)oii<Kl 
iiilcd  iroiii 
the  '^r,o:)() 
I  llie  terri- 
sea.  The 
in  Ireland, 
ill  British 
iiiccs,  was 
ng,  passed 
loiiey"  for 
ily  parliei- 

States  in 
V,  while  it 
(Jaiiada. — 

diroctioiis 
l')inii;r;inls 
3ad  money 

lan  in  nnr 

the  West 

le  colonies 

c  panic  of 

ation  from 

ovinces  to 

lan  act  re- 

at  once  to 

Of  25:^,- 

rnnswick, 

ceded    iii- 

in  (Canada 

rmiswiclc, 

t  decrease 

I  wiio  ar- 

nie  direct 

tion  from 
d.)     This 


reached  its  lieight  in  ISU,  when  32,025  persons  went  thither 
from  I'liiizlaiid.  Its  lowest  point  was  in  IS  l.'i,  when  only  S!50 
])eisniis  went  thither.  The  jjradiial  (iiiiiiniilioii  of  emijiiation 
tliiiher,  will  1)0  checked  hy  the  yold  discoveries  in  Sydney, — 
Hill  the  tables  arc  eii0M<^li  to  sliow  that  the  United  Stales 
is  hecoming  the  most  popular  country  to  the  Knropean  emi- 
graist. 

The  total  arrivals  in  New  York  from  nil  countries,  are  gen- 
erally al)oiit  ihree-lbnrths  of  the  arrivals  in  all  onr  ports. — 
The  proportions  of  IJritish  enngranis  to  the  whole  arrivals, 
varies  considerably  in  dilfcrent  years.  Thus  there  arrived  at 
iN'ew  York  : — 


From  (ireat  Hritain. 
iSH.  .  .  I2S..-)'.I2.  .  . 
IS  ID.  .  .  1.-,2, 1 '.)<>.  .  . 
|S.-,().  .  .  ].-):M'.)3.  .  . 
IS.Jl.     .     .     l«)S,3Ul).     .     . 


Other  countries. 

,    (Ki.nsi.    . 

.     ()S,l(i4.     . 


Total. 
IS'.I.ITO 

212,7«.)() 

2SU,»J()1 


ISoO — In  Mass.  from  British  ports,  2(),('1~;  other  ports,  4,058. 

In  Haltimore,  in  IS.")!),  there  arrived — Irisli,  2,015  ;  (iermans, 
3.S~2  ;  and  only  2S0  of  other  countries  ;  the  (jerinans  prepon- 
deraliriir;  and  this  in  a  year  of  sni'ill  («ernian  emigration.  In 
New  Orleans,  the  division  is  nearly  equal  between  Ciermans, 
French,  and  Fiiiglish. 

The  Now  York  arrivals  being  much  the  largest; — and  ours 
the  next  largest;  it  follows  thai  the  Hrilish  emigration  is  still 
nearly  three-fonrths  of  the  whole. 

Some  attention  has  been  called  in  the  papers  to  the  fact  that 
a  considerable  number  of  Irish,  more  than  lO.OUO,  have  sailed 
this  fall  for  Ireland,  on  their  return,  from  New  York.  I  am 
informed,  however,  on  the  highest  authority,  that  this  is  tiot 
an  extraordinary  movement — and  that  there  is  not  a  larger 
proportion  returning  than  nsnal.  They  i>o  back  to  see  tlieir 
iVieiids,  attend  to  business,  and  often  to  bring  out  their  fam- 
ilies. As  is  stated  above,  while  1,4S5  sailed  froiii  Boston  on 
their  return  in  the  first  eleven  months  of  1851,4,037  arrived 
here  a  second  time. 

It  will  \w  seen  by  the  tables  above,  that  the  emigration  has 
varied  singularly  from  year  to  year.  As  loin;  since  as  183s, 
the  British  emiaraiion  fell  as  low  as  4,577  to  the  colonies,  and 
14,332  to  tlu!  United  States.  The  falling  ofl'  was  attributed 
to  the  Cr.nadiaii  rebellion.  On  the  oiher  hand,  the  Irish  lam- 
iiie  of  ISIS.  raised  the  British  emigration  to  Nctrtli  Anieriea, 
to  2.")1.S34,  from  125,078,  the  amount  in  1810;  just  doid)liiig 
it.     All  the  immense  emigration  of  later  years,  has  hardly  car- 

*  The  falliog  oft'  was  from  Germauy. 


00 


1 


'U 


11  ■■ 


riofl  it  beyniid  tliis  point,  until  this  ycnr.  In  1H1<>,  it  was 
y()0,Sir.  This  y«':ir  it  will  h(!  iniirh  iihovci  :!()0,(l(HI.  These 
calciilutiniis,  it  will  lii>  soni,  iiicliidt!  llit>  (Mniuialion  to  tin;  col- 
onics. I''iv('-sixlhs,  ahont,  of  those  I'roni  (irciit  Hiitain  to  this 
coinitry  arc  Irish.  (M'tlio  races  in  the  cniiyrution  to  the  Prov- 
inces, I  cannot  speak. 

It  has  always  hi-eii  said  that  the  fallini?  oil'  in  18'I8,  was 
canscd  hy  the  jirospcct  ol'  a  rnhcllioii  ni  Ireland.  A  tiuht  in 
Canada  kept  them  away; — hnt  the  hope  of  one  in  Ireland 
conid  not  he  neiilccied. 

In  (ace  of  snch  changes,  a  prophecy  is  Iiazardons.  I  vcn- 
tnre  however  from  the  position  of  Ireland  herself,  the  sngi»es- 
tion,  that,  wiihont  reinarkahle  (dianges  which  we  cammt  now 
foresee  in  the  order  of  allairs,  the  Irish  emigration  will  not  .soon 
be  larf,'er  than  that  of  the  present  year,  and  prohahly  will 
never  he  larger,  if  so  lartre.  The  drain  upon  Irish  population 
has  heen  iinnieiise.  The  census  (»f  |S.")I,  showing  a  diminn- 
tion  of  near  2, ()()<>, 000  in  the  population  of  Ireland  in  ten 
years,  should  have  been  no  surprise  to  persons  conversant 
with  her  position.  The  Kinigrant  (^Miiniissioners  had  an- 
nounced the  year  before  that  the  Animal  emigration  had 
drawn  off  at  least  a  million  more  than  any  previous  rates  of 
increase  could  supply. 

Meanwhile,  the  (commissioners  of  Public  works,  various 
private  Companies  and  individuals  are  developing  her  re- 
sources of  mines,  fisheries,  and  manufactures.  i*roperty  is  so 
changing  hands  as  to  otier  much  more  encouragement,  and 
better  wages  to  labor.  Among  the  reasons  why  liiiglish  emi- 
gration to  Australia  falls  otf  is  (hat  i'jiiglishmen  can  easier 
emiiirate  to  the  rich  "wastes"  of  Counaught.  '^Phe  former 
inhahiiants  of  these  "wastes"  are  now  in  America.  All 
these  developments  of  industry  must  create  a  demand  for 
labor  even  there.  If  they  were  evenly  scattered  over  Ireland, 
they  would  check  emigration  at  once.  Hut  Ireland  is  many 
nations  in  one.  And  it  is  much  more  natural  therefore,  to  an 
Irishman  from  Kerry  lo  come  to  America,  home  of  all  nations, 
and  go  to  work  in  a  factory,  than  it  would  be  to  go  to  (Jounty 
Down  in  the  north  of  his  own  island,  and  go  to  work  in  a 
factory,  even  at  as  good  living  wages  there. 

Ireland  is  not  so  crowded  after  all,  as  we,  who  have  seen 
those  starved  swarms  pouring  fronj  it,  are  used  to  suppose. 
lis  area  is  30,400  square  miles.  Its  population,  on  the  lilst  of 
jMarcli  last,  was  ti,"));"),?'.)  I.  This  gives  an  average  of  211 
persons  to  tlie  s(jiiaie  mile.  We  in  iMassachusetts  have  147  lo 
the  stpiare  mile.  'Plios'e  parts  which  have  sutl'ered  most  in 
Ireland,  do  not  come  up  to  the  density  of  our  Massachusetts 
population.     Tlie  population  of  the  county  and  city  of  Cial- 


28 


1'.),  it  was 
)().     TliPso 

to   tilt!  Col- 

tiiltl  Id  tills 
)  tlio  I'rov- 

18  IS,  was 
A  tiulil  ill 
ill  Ireland 

us.     I  vcn- 

tlio  snimos- 
raiinnt  now 
ill  not  soon 
)l)alily  will 
population 
r  u  diiiiiiin- 
ind  in  ten 
conversant 
rs  had  an- 
ration  had 
)us  rates  of 

ks,  various 

lu;   iter   rc- 

>perty  is  so 

Miieiit,  and 

n^iisli  omi- 

riin   easier 

riie  (briiier 

[>ri(:a.      All 

eiiiaiid   for 

cr  Ireland, 

is  many 

•Core,  to  an 

It  nations, 

to  (^'oiinty 

work  in  a 

have  seen 
,0  suppose, 
ihc  :ilst  of 
ige  of  '^{14 
lave  l-iT  to 
d  ino^t  in 
ssachnsetis 
ity  of  Cial- 


I 


i 


way,  is  only  ninety-one  to  tho  Sfjuaro  mile.  This  was  one  of 
the  most  severly  tried  regions  ni  the  taniine.  Now  it  can 
hardly  he  that  any  slowness  of  the  laboii  is  l(»  go  from  pan  to 
part  of  Ireland  shall  he  snllicieiit  to  keep  tluiu  from  wages 
there,  whi<;h  must  coin  mk'  to  rise,  if  the  development  of 
material  resources,  noliccubit;  ever  since  the  famine,  and  the 
regular  diminution  of  poor  rates  cnntinius. 

1  may  add  that  the  inllucnce  of  the  Catholic  Clergy  of  trcliiiifl 
is,  on  the  whole,  turned  against  the  emigration  of  their  llocks. 
Such  is  the  statement  of  high  authorities,  who  say  that  the 
reason  is.  that  they  dislike  tin?  necessary  loss  of  power,  which 


tlii> 


(-'ellic  l')xodiis  of  course  hriims  irpoii  them. 


In  ten  years,  from  ISII  to  IS.">0  inclusive,  the  Ihitish  emi- 
gration to  America  was  l,ri;i-i,(((l(l  persons.  Of  this,  certainly 
1, :{()(), (1(10  was  Irish, — a  numher  which  goes  far  to  account  lor 
tli(!  failing  olf  in  ilie  Irish  census  of  IS.')].*  This  year  moio 
than  l{()(),(l()l)  more  have  come,  (iraiiliiic,  what  1  consider 
juohahle,  (hut  as  many  will  arrive  in  lSr»;i;  it  siill  seems  im- 
prohabio  that  mori;  than  that  numher  will  leave  an  improving 
country.  And  after  that  the  annual  ninnher  can  hardly  fail  to 
diminish.  It  is  the  Celtic  portion  which  emigrates; — and  their 
relative  proportion  to  the  Saxon  races  in  Ireland  is  now  mate- 
rially reduced  by  starvation  and  emigration.  For  such  rea- 
sons, I  am  induced  to  suppose  that  Irish  emigration  is  now  ut 
its  height.  It  will  not  fall  back  very  suddenly,  I'or  those  now 
here,  will  send  out  for  their  friends,  and  ihey  will  continue  to 
come.  Hut  it  is  not  like  to  rise  ever  without  new  aggravating 
causes,  above  3()(),l)()()  a  year. 

Those  Protestants  who  do  emigrate  from  Ireland  generally 
go  to  Upper  Canada,  I  am  told. 

*  I'"or  tlio  convenience  of  tliosc  persons  who  wisli  to  carry  farther  puch  cntculnfions 
on  In^li  popuUitioii,  thu  Irish  cuiisus  ot'  1641  luid  that  of  \bi>l,  nre  priutetl  in  uu  npiJi'ii- 
dix  A. 


24 


No.    TV. 


(J  r  A  n  A  N  T  I  N  i:     a  n  d     ins  r  i;  c  t  i  o  n 


U 


1 


TnKEE-FouRTHs  at  least  of  the  emigrants  arriving  in  tliis 
country  land  at  the  port  of  \e\v  York.  On  the  whole,  the 
arrangcnxMiIs  of  that  Siato  and  city  seem  aselUctive  and  care- 
ful as  any.  In  giving  an  acconnt,  therefore,  of  the  arrange- 
nieiiis  made  for  colleeting  a  revenue  from  emigrants,  and 
Imspecling  their  heahh,  I  shall  speak  especially  of  i\e\v  York 
cny,  noticing,  by  the  way,  any  important  variations  in  the 
]\las-;achnseils  practice. 

Afier  various  changes  and  evasions  in  lesiislation,  resulting 
from  the  necessary  conflict  bet\V(!cn  Federal  and  State  powers: 
tlic  (lilfereut  seaboard  Siaies  have  at  last  protected  themselves, 
in  the  utter  negligi'iice  of  the  (ieneral  (Government  in  this 
matter,  by  a  series  of  Statutes,  based  on  one  general  principle, 
and  dillering  only  in  detail. 

Tiiat  principle  is  this.  In  theory,  by  these  various  Statutes, 
the  owner.  !iia.ster  or  consignee  of  every  vessel  arriving  with 
foreign  passenyers,  tmist  i»ive  a  bond  with  a  large  penalty, 
and  with  siillicient  securities,  for  each  of  those  passengers, 
that  he  shall  not,  wiiliin  a  lime  lixt'd  by  the  Statute,  l)ecomu 
a  )»iil)lic  pauper.  This  bond  is  (i.xed  at  such  a  sum  that  it 
would  be  (luiic  impossil>le  lor  any  ship  owners  to  nnderiake 
.sucli  a  responsibility  for  a  large  number  of  passcuigers.  The 
Statutes,  therefore,  all  provide  that,  at  their  o[)tion,  ship  own- 
ers, masters,  ».Vc.,  may  co//i/nii/e,  if  they  jjlease,  for  giving  sucii 
i)ond,  by  jiaying  down  a  certain  sum  for  each  iiealthy  ])assen- 
gcr.  i\one  of  the  Slates,  I  believe,  permit  commutation  for 
disabled  passengers.  This  commnlation  money  is  known  as 
head  money.  Practically,  it  is  almost  always  paid,  as  much 
the  easier  branch  of  the  alternative.  The  reason  why  it  is 
not  enforced  in  form,  is,  that  the  decision  of  tlie  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  Slates,  delivered  in  the  cases  of  Snntli  v. 
Turner;  and  Norris  v.  city  of  Hoston,  Feb.  7,  IS  ID,  declared 
such  colle(;tion  by  direct  Statute  nnconstitntional,  as  an  inter- 
ference with  the  federal  right  of  regulating  commerce.     The 


25 


ION. 

ving  in  tliis 
e  whole,  the 
ivc  and  caro- 
the  arrange- 
ligiants,  and 
f  iS'cw  Yolk 
ations  in  the 

ion,  rcsnhing 
>late  [lowers: 
1  tlionisol  vos, 
incnt  in  tiiis 
Tal  principle, 

ions  Stafutcs, 
firriving  with 
rtze  penalty, 
passt'iiyers, 
tnte,  hcoonie 
Slim  that  it 
to  underiaUe 
iigois.     The 
11,  ship  own- 
giving  such 
iltliy  passeii- 
niiitation  for 
is  known  as 
aid,  as  nuich 
on  why  it  is 
the   Supreme 
()f  Smith  V. 
vl9,  declared 
as  an  intor- 
rnercc. 


The 


sev(M"al  Slates,  therefore,  now  compel  ship  owners  lo  elect  to 
pay  this  sum.  It  is,  of  conrso  charged  to  each  emigrant  as  a 
part  of  the  expnnsn  of  liis  p;issa'^e. 

Ill  Massachusetts,  tiie  head  money  is  ,'~!2.  Jn  New  York, 
Pennsylvania,  Delaware  and  I\laryland  it  is  i<,l  50.  In  l*eiin- 
sylvania  it  was  formerly  ■pi'i,  hut  a  practice  immediately  sprung 
u\)  of  landing  emigrants  in  Wihuington,  Delaware,  where 
they  could  he  commuted  clioaper,  and  whence  they  proceeded 
at  once  to  Philadelphia  hy  land,  while  the  ships  went  up  the 
rivor  to  discharge  tlieir  cargoes. 

The  emigrant  ship  as  she  comes  up  New  York  hay  makes 
signal  that  slio  has  passengers  on  board,  and  opposite  the 
quarantine  station,  on  Staten  Island,  she  lies  to.  'J'he  Health 
ollicer  of  the  Commissioners  of  emigration  is  stationed  here, 
lie  hoards  the  vessel  at  once.  At  this  moment  it  may  not 
he  amiss  to  sav,  that  the  ollicer.  Dr.  Doaue,  is  the  gentleman 
who  received  Kossuth,  the  most  distinguished  emigrant  lie  has 
"inspected  '"  this  year.* 

His  first  business,  ordinarily,  is  to  see  the  Captain,  who 
ouirht  to  nave  ready  for  him  a  list  of  his  passengers,  with  a 
statement  of  their  condition.  The  Captains  are,  of  course, 
desirous  to  mak(!  this  report  as  favorable  as  possil)le.  l)ut  the 
sui)se(|ueiit  inspection,  though  rapid,  is  complete  enough  to 
prevent  much  danger  of  deception.  The  ("aptain  is  bound  to 
report,  within  tweniy-four  hours  of  his  arrival,  to  the  Mayor 
of  the  city,  the  numlier  of  his  passengers  who  are  citizens,  and 
the  number  who,  being  foreigners,  have  never  been  bonded, 
their  place  of  birth,  last  residenct;,  age,  name  and  occupatiun. 
He  shows  this  ri^poit  to  the  Health  ollicer.  The  oliietjr  then 
(piestions  him  and  the  ship's  physician  as  to  the  healtii  of  the 
])asseiigers,  whether  any  of  them  an;  lunatic,  idiot,  deaf, 
dimil),  blind  or  iiilirin,  if  so  whether  they  are  accompanied  by 
relatives  who  can  take  care  of  them;  and  again  with  regard 
to  the  deaths  on  the  ])assage.  All  these  ])arliculars  the  (.'ap- 
taiii  is  bound  to  specily  in  his  rejiort  to  tlie  Mayor,  and  if  he 
fail  to  specify  them  correctly,  the  Commissioners  of  emigra- 
tion on  the  report  of  their  Health  IXlieer  would  prosecute 
him  lor  the  penalty  provided.  Such  penalties,  when  recov- 
ered, are  a  part  of  their  available  I'liiids. 

While  the  Health  Ollicer  obtains  the  details  of  the  Captain's 
report,  the  emigrants  are  mustered  on  deck  for  his  personal 
examination.  He  then  goes  below  with  his  men. — examines 
the  emigrant  decks,  that  he  may  see  those  who  are  not  wt'll 

*  As  ttip<i>  sheets  pn«s  thvnuuh  the  press  the  ilentli  of  tliis  piithint  niid  distiiifruislied 
ofTicer,  who  cle<>-rveil  timl  tiUe  hetter  than  niaiiy  who  liiive  receive.',  it  in  other  n'V- 
viee<.  isaiiiinuiieeil.  He  died  ofsliip  fever,  coiitrncted  in  tlie  duty  in  which  lie  has  dciiio 
miieli  in  the  ciiu-n  of  justice  and  humanity.  His  ready  courtusy  in  the  dibcharge  of 
his  duties  will  be  lonf,'  remembered. 


I 


I'. 


Sfi 


1,1  lli. 


i 


eiinuKli  to  CO  oil  deck, — aii'l  sfitisf)'  liimsnlf  tliat  no  porsons 
ail'  ciniri'Mli'd  on  ho;\r(l.  so  far  iis  siicli  an  oxaniiiiatioii  will 
saii-l\'  liii!).  Tliis  viMt  ( iialili's  luiii  to  observe,  in  a  iiitMsiirc, 
wluMhcr  liie  Unitfd  Stales  slaliite  reyardiim:  the  trcaliiienl  of 
eiiiiLTaiits  on  Ixiard  any  vessel  has  been  violated.  This  stal- 
uie  applies  to  all  vessels  arrivitiii  liere  ;  the  oxaniinalion  made 
ill  l^iiulaiid  having  been  made,  of  coiirso,  with  referenee  to  the 
provisions  of  tlie.  Miiiilislt  laws  Any  violation  of  tlic  Aiiier- 
iiMii  sf.itnte  wonid  be  re])orird  by  llio  Emigiaiit  Commission- 
ers to  the  I'liiled  States  .Aitoniey. 

This  e\-aniination  liiiished,  he  coes  on  deck,  with  liis  men, 
t  1  iiis|iect  those  reportetl  as  in  liealth  who  are  assembled  there. 
Yi'ii  know  ili.it  in  some  instances  tliere  have  been  more  than 
a  thousand  on  a  single  vessel.  The  inspection  is  rai'id  indeed. 
A  rope  is  drawn  across  the  vessel,  leaving  a  passage  between 
tiie  Health  Oliieer  and  one  of  his  boatmen,  wide  enough  for  one 
emiiiraiii  at  a  time  to  pass  through.  Tliev  passipiickly  thronsih, 
from  the  throng  wlier*^  they  are  assembled,  and  are  counted  as 
they  i;o.  if  the  quick  eye  of  the  Health  ( 'Ilicer detects  a  blind, 
deaf,  dumb  or  idnHic  person. — or  one  who  has  any  asjiect  of 
sickness,  be  stops  him,  qiiesiions  him.  — and  if  he  do  not  pass 
such  qiiesiioning  saiisl'aciorily.  he  is  reported.  'I'lie  in;. in 
object  of  this  personal  examination,  however,  with  that  made 
below,  istoolitain  ev  deuce  that  the  ship  has  not  brought  more 
than  the  number  of  passengers  allowed  by  law. 

At  this  same  visit  the  llealih  Oliieer  and  his  men  distribute 
amonc  the  emitirants  papers  of  simple  advice,  which  are  pre- 
pared by  the  (Commissioners  in  dillerent  laiiijnages. 

If.  now.  among  those  asceriaiiu^d  to  be  sick,  there  are  any 
siitl'eriiisi  under  diseases  classed  as  coiilaHions.  they  are  landed 
at  the  Unaraiitine  Hospit,il.  The  whole  vessel  and  p.as.sen- 
gers.  of  course,  are  siilijected  to  the  Unaraiitine  arrangetnt  iits 
of  the  l*ori.  If  there  be  other  sick  passengers,  nnabie  to  pro- 
vider for  themselves,  the  Commissioneis  ol  emigration  are;  at 
once  iioiilied  of  the  fact,  and  on  the  arrival  of  ihe  vessel  at 
i\ew  \'ork,  ihese  persons  are  removed  to  the  einiurant  hospi- 
tal at   Ward's  l>lan(],  of  which  I  shall  speak  bereafier. 

On  the  facts  presented  by  tins  examination  and  the  (.'apt.ain's 
report,  the  arraiiiiements  are  made  for  the  payment  of  ihc 
head  money,  alluded  to  above,  or  for  the  requisite  boiifLs.  All 
pirxins  111  tolerable  liealih  and  condition  are  '•commntid  for," 
thai  is  till-  he.'id  money  s|)oken  of  al'ovi;  is  paid  over  to  the 
ant'iorilies.  l-'or  tlio^e  reported  as  disabled. — as  for  idiois, 
insane,  deaf,  dumb,  blind  or  iiilirm,  not  mendiers  ol  emigrat- 
iiiii  lainilies — or  lor  those  who  have  been  paupers  abroad, — 
or  from  any  circumstances  are  liable  to  become  a  public  charge, 
the  law  of  New  York  docs  not  permit  any  "commutation," 


27 


no  prrsnns 
liiiation  will 
I  ii  iiitMsiiri', 
;ie;iliiic>M  of 
I'liis  slat- 
imtioii  MKulo 
^riMice  to  tlic 
!"  the  AiMcr- 
Joiuniission- 

th  his  niPii, 
milled  iht'io. 
I  more  lliau 
rapid  iiidecd. 
igo  hetwi'iMi 
oiiiih  for  one 
l<ly  throiiiih, 
0  coiiiilt'd  as 
tccls  a  l)liiid, 
ly  asjirct  of 
do  not  pass 
'I'hc  111;  in 
h  that  made 
iroiight  more 

'11  distribute 
ich   are  pre- 

rre  are  any 
y  arc  latidod 
and  passcii- 
rraniii'iiK  nts 
il)le  to  pio- 
iiion  ar(!  at 
10  vessel  at 
crant  hospi- 

ler. 

^'.  (.'aptaiii's 
iiient   of  llic 

londs.  All 
imut((l  for," 

over  to  the 
J  for  idiois, 
ot  emi^rat- 
•s  abroad, — 
iblic  chariio, 
uimitation," 


il 


btit  requires  an  available  bond,  witli  a  penalty  of  five  hundred 
dollars,  to  save  harmless  the  Commissioners  of  emigration,  and 
all  pid)lic  aulliorilies  in  the  iSiate,  from  any  charge  of  such 
disabled  person,  within  ten  years, 

For  an  abb'-bodied  passenger,  the  bond  required  in  \e\v 
York  is  only  three  hundred  dollars,  that  he  shall  not  become 
chariioable  wilhni  five  years. 

Our  Massachn.setis  Statute  is  much  more  stringent,  and  the 
custom  in  the  i)racticai  enforcement  of  it  in  our  ports  makes  it 
more  stringent  stdl. 

Our  statute  (March  20,  IS5();  chap.  lO.")),  provides  that  the 
bonds  shall  secure  that  the  emigrant  shall  not  be  a  charge  to 
the  public  odicers  of  die  Commonwealth  at  any  period  ///  /lis 
life.  The  bond  is  one  tbonsand  dollars,  in  all  eases;  wilh  the 
privilege  of  conimuialion  in  cases  of  able  bodied  emigrants 
not  likely  to  lie  public  charye,  as  in  New  York.  IJnt  in  the 
diseretion  entrusted  to  the  exaininiiig  ofliccr,  our  SnperiutPiid- 
eiif  of  Alien  Passengers,  who  takes  the  duty  of  the  New  York 
Hoard  of  Connnissioners  of  emigration,  Health  Oliicers  and 
all,  is  much  less  lenient  than  are  they.  Although,  as  will  be 
seen,  the  average  of  health  in  vessels  arrivuig  liere  is  really 
better  lliaii  in  ^e\v  York, — still,  in  New  York,  among  more 
tlian  600.0(10  emigrants,  arriving  in  ISIS,  1SI9,  ISoO,  only 
300  bonds  were  required,  as  for  disabled  persons;  and  those 
bonds  were  for  ten  years  only; — while  in  liostoii,  in  the  same 
time,  among  only  00,000  passengers,  bonds  were  exacted  for 
■J;):>1. — the  security  to  remain  as  long  as  the  emigrant  shall 
live.  That  is,  nearly  one  /ii/nthtd  limes  as  many  pavsseiigers 
were  bonded  her(^  as  likely  to  be  paupers,  in  proportion  to  the 
nntnber  received,  as  in  New  York  ;  though  there  is  rcasnii  to 
believe  (he  average  of  health  in  arrivals  here  better  than  there. 

This  siriimency  at  our  |)orts  has  probably  no  practical  ell'ect 
whatever  but  to  embarrass  considerably  oiir  direct  I'oreign 
trade.  It  is  iindersiood  that  shipping  agents  in  Liverpool  take 
care  lo  send  to  New  York,  whenever  they  can.  all  p  tsseiiyirs 
where  they  have  any  reason  to  ap|)relieud  that  bonds  will  be 
recjnired  in  IJostou.  Arrived  in  New  York  they  pass  the 
easier  examination  there,  pay  their  head  money,  and  it'  they 
have  any  reason  whatever  to  come  into  New  l-lnglaud,  they 
take  immediate  passage  here  by  the  numerous  means  of  con- 
veyance. Nor  will  all  tlic  iuiieiiuily  of  oiir  legishiiion  keep 
them  out,  thou<:)i  the  .sialiue  of  last  yenr  has.  iinpoteinly 
eiioiiiili.  allempiid  this.  (<"li;ip.  'M'2,  IS.')|  ]  NViih  a  good 
many  evasions,  of  wliicli  1  shall  have  occasion  to  spe.ik  liere- 
afier, — the  expenses  of  paupers  secured  by  bonds  in  Aiassai'bn- 
sclts  are  collected  with  care.  I  have  heard  complaints  maile 
by  ship  owners  that  the  bills  for  the  charge  of  their  paiiper.s 


m 


m 


i 


28 

wcro  too  liiali.  Hut,  in  few,  if  any  inslancos,  liavc  paymonts 
of  these  bills  boiMi  siicoessfiilly  rcsislrd.  In  IS")!),  .sC), ()(')'.»  'M 
Avcre  eollcctod  after  .March  'M,  when  tiic  statute  of  that  year 
came  into  eircet. 

It  will  remain  to  be  seen  by  tlio  re])ort  to  be  made  in  Jan- 
nary  to  oiu'  liegislatnre,  bow  tar  the  Commissioners  apiioinled 
by  the  Stalnteof  last  ."May  have  succeeded  m  tlio  etfort  to  keep 
out  invalid  or  pauper  passengers  atlen)ptinif  to  come  into  the 
(>iaie  by  land.  That  statute  provides  that  the  railroad  compa- 
nies who  introduce  foreigners  into  the  Stale  shall  be  liable  for 
their  eliartres  if  they  become  paupers  within  a  year  of  their 
arrival.  The  immense  ])ractieal,  not  to  say  legal  dillicullics 
in  enforcing  this  statute  remain  to  bo  observed. 

'J'iiis  ell'cct  is  to  be  observed  of  our  system,  however,  al- 
ready: that  our  own  Slate  legislation  has  already,  to  a  consid- 
erable extent,  wounded  our  own  packet  lines.  While  this 
year,  the  arrivals  in  \ew  York  to  l)eceml)er  2,  are  01.1177 
inoie  numerous  than  in  the  same  period  of  IS.")!),  an  inrrcaneoi 
21  per  cent, — and  a  proportionate  advantage  to  the  transporta- 
tion interests  of  the  State,  and  its  emigration  tax  has  ensued, — 
in  our  port  there  has  been  a  /'//////xf  olf  of  1,019  in  the  same 
time,  nearly  four  per  cent.  If  it  could  be  sliown  that  we  have 
thus  a  hundred  paupers  less,  there  would  bo  some  argument 
for  this  striuaeiicy,  hut  that  would  be  hard  to  do. 

Aekuowledging  the  difficulty  of  the  case,  the  true  policy  of 
]\Iassachusetts  seems  to  !)o  indicated  by  her  position.  She  is 
a  large  shipjiiug  State,  with  fnie  arrangements  for  transporting 
passengers  Westward,  and  with  very  small  territory.  She 
has  an  opportunity  therefore  to  collect  a  large  amount  of  head 
money,  with  good  chance,  under  natural  causes,  of  scattering 
far  and  wide  the  foreigners  who  ])ay  it.  Her  true  policy  seems 
to  be.  therefore,  not  so  much  to  atteu'jit,  what  her  conmiercial 
]iositi()n  makes  impossible,  to  prevent  their  arrival  li(;re,  as  to 
arrange,  as  I'ar  as  is  in  her  power,  for  dispersing  them,  as  fast 
and  as  far  as  their  own  best  interests  re(|uire. 

Instead  of  this  she  has  arranged  and  preserved,  as  I  shall 
show  in  another  jiaper,  a  complicated  system  for  keeping  those 
of  them  who  are  disabled  in  her  own  territory. 

The  only  provision  not  embodied  in  our  law,  which  deserves 
notice,  is  an  ell'ort  to  induce  emisirants  to  sail  early  in  the  year, 
in  the  Urili^h  province's,  the  bead  money  is  raised  alter  the 
lir>t  of  S(  |)tember.  This  is  done  on  the  presumption  that  a 
larger  number  of  late  arrivals  will  become  a  public  cliarue 
than  of  those  who  come  earlv  enough  to  scatter,  in  the  same 
season  to  lields  of  labor.  'I'he  presumption  is  perfectly  widl 
founded.     I?iU  I  suppose  it  is  doubtlul  whether  tiie  addition  of 


F^ 


29 


i^c  ptxynionts 

i),  :s(),U()l>  ;{*.) 
of  that  year 

iiadc  ill  Jail- 
ers appoiiili'd 
'doit  to  keep 
)nie  into  the 
I  road  com  pa- 
be  liable  I'or 
^^ear  of  their 
il  dillieiiliies 


a  dollar  or  two  to  tlio  price  of  a  passage,  caused  by  tlic  increase 
oC  bead  money,  produces  inucli  eli'eci  in  iiidiiciiii?  emigrants  to 
sail  early.  They  have  every  other  temptatiou  to  sail  as  early 
as  tlicy  can. 


No.  V. 


THE  EMKIUANT  BOARDS  OF  >IASSA(  III  SETTS  AM)  NEAV  YOKK, 


however,  al- 
,  to  a  coiisid- 
\Vhile  this 
:,  are  Ol.OTZ 
HI  uicnas'j  of 
le  transporta- 
las  ensued, — 
ill  the  same 
that  we  have 
uc  argmiieut 

rue  policy  of 
tioii.  She  is 
'  transporting 
rritory.  She 
omit  of  head 
of  scattering 
1  policy  seems 
r  coiiiniercial 
il  here,  as  to 
them,  as  fast 

:1,  as   I   shall 
keeping  those 

liicli  deserves 
y  in  the  year. 
^ed  alter  the 
iption  that  a 
)nblic  charL;e 
ill  the  same 
perfectly  well 
lie  addition  of 


The  emicrant  on  arrival  is  beset  by  persons  whose  business 
it  is,  for  better  or  worse,  to  take  care  of  him.  'I'lie  m-nss  im- 
posiiions  which  emiurant  rnimers  and  forwarders  practiced  in 
New  York,  led  to  tlie  most  striniiciit  legislation  in  that  fSiate, 
and  the  Moard  of  Immigrant  (vommissioiiers  there,  has  now 
very  full  powers  for  checking  the  worst  abuses,  'i'he  busi- 
ness, it  is  said,  is  followed  mostly  by  foreigners,  who  have,  in 
their  language,  a  particular  facility  lor  lleeciiig  their  own 
countrymen. 

The  Hoard  of  Emigrant  Commissioners  in  J\[assachnsetts, 
has  only  existed  since  last  iMay,  when  the  Siatiite  pass-ed  cre- 
ating it:  [('hapter  312:  approved  May,  21,  18;')!. 1  It  is  a  body 
of  very  limited  powers,  consisting  of  the  Andiior,  the  Super- 
intendent of  Alien  Passengers,  and  one  member  of  the  Coun- 
cil, its  business  is  simply  to  see  that  the  several  town  boards 
of  Overseers  of  the  Poor,  do  not  defraud  the  State  in  their 
dealiiiizs  with  it,  on  account  of  Foreign  Paupers: — to  oversee 
the  introduction  of  fo.-eigners  by  Railroad  ;  and  to  report  such 
ini|)rovements  in  <iur  system  as  mav  suggest  themselves. 

Prom  this  last  provision  some  decided  remedies  to  the  increns- 
iiiij  and  chronic  ditUciilties  of  our  pauper  legislation  may  be 
hoped  for. 

The  Hoard  of  Emigrant  Commissioners  in  New  York, — 
to  which  I  have  made  repeated  references, — is  a  larger  body, 
with  far  more  extensive  dtnies.  The  t^ityof  Xew  York  beiug 
the  only  sea-port  in  the  State,  the  Hoard's  operations  almost 
all  take  elfect  there.  It  consists  of  six  members  appointed  by 
the  (jovcrnor  and  Senate  for  six  years,  and  of  the  Mayors  of 
l^ew  York  and  Hrooklyu,  and  the  Presidents  of  the  Irish  and 
(jierman  (Jharilable  Societies,  cv  ii/Jicio.  This  Hoard  has  cor- 
porate piiwers,  and  to  it  are  entrusted  all  tlie  compliciit<  d. 
duties  which  the  Slate  undertakes  towards  emigrants,  it  pro- 
vides for  the  inspection  of  ships,  for  prosecutions  for  violation 


Ui    !;i 


I: 


m 


30 

oftlio  I'liitcHl  States  Statutes,  and  for  colloctino:  the  lioacl-moiit'y 
ami  ptiKillics  oil  hiHids,  Willi  tlioso  rmiils,  aiiiouiiiiiiii;  in 
1S.')0,  to  a  total  ol'  .il!  iSO.O'.)  I,  l"i,  it  is  to  take  cliaiuc,  iiiulcr  the. 
Statutes  ot'  .New  \'t)rk.  ot'  all  |)aii|iois  in  that  State,  who  have, 
anived  tVoiu  abroad  within  live  years; — that  heiiii^  the  [x'liod 
covered  by  the  bonds  which  have  bet'ii  aiveii  or  coiniiiiiied 
for.  It  beconirs,  therefore,  a  Hoard  of  Overseers  of  the  Poor, 
Insane,  l}liiid,  cVc. — of  a  very  wide  aizeiiey.  For  its  purposes 
this  Hoard  lias  purchased  Ward's  Island,  in  the  I'last  Uiver, 
above  New  York.  There  are  estal)lislied  its  various  hospitals, 
nurseries,  Occ  ,  for  those  of  its  prolei^iis  who  need  its  assistance 
mar  .New  N'ork.  It  also  has  chartie  of  the  Marine  Hospital, 
at  Siateii  Island, — where  persons  are  received,  who  on  arri- 
ving are  alllicletl  with  cont.iuioiis  or  infections  diseases. 

So  extensive  are  the  arranireiiients  at  Wards  Island,  tliat  in 
1S50,  10, 1,")G  persons  were  cared  fir  there  each  reinaiMintr.  on 
an  averaue.  sixiy-lhrecMlays.  Three  hundred  and  (Nj^hly-lonr 
iiilaiits  of  foreign  parents  wert;  born  there  in  that  year.  At 
the  Marine  llo.->pital,  in  the  same  year,  iJ  111  persons  wero 
treated,  whose  stay  averaged  tliirty  days  each. 

Hesidrs  these,  1()1  Iniiatics  wert^  sent  by  the  ('oniniis.>ion  to 
the  Hlackwelfs  Island  liiinatic  Asybim.  and  lUO  small  pox 
patients  to  the  small  pox  establiishment  there. 

Such  are  the  arraiiiiements  for  the  sick  in  the  city  of  \ew 
York  and  its  nei|j;hl)orhood.  If  any  of  the  inierior  comities 
have  in  charge  as  paupers,  eniiifranis  not  yet  live  years  in  the 
coiintrv,  and  iherefore  belon>;inL'  to  the  charge  of  ilie  Hoard, 
their  ollicers  nolil'y  the  Hoard  of  such  chartie.  If  desirable, 
they  arc  removed  to  the  Refuse  and  Hospital  at  Ward's  Island. 
( >ilierwise  the  Hoard  pavs  the  county  es'ablishnu'iit  the  amount 
of  expenses  incurred  for  them.  In  l^.')(),  .3,'Jo7  persons  be- 
came thus  charce;ible  to  this  coiiinii>sion. 

'  The  Stale  of  New  York  has  been  fortunate  in  secnriiiff  as 
tlu!  lirst  Coinmi^siniicrs  under  the  act  eslablishmtr  this  Hoard, 
a  body  ot'  men.  of  whom  some  ot  the  active  members  have 
c  M'taiiily  no  siipt>riors  in  business  ai)ility,  or  I  may  add,  in  hiijii 
b  Mievoleiice,  in  our  country.*  Thi^y  dischar^^e  their  laborious 
duties  witiioiit  compensation.  The  action  of  the  Hoard  lias 
been  none  the  less  prompt,  however.  It  is  not  (inile  five  years 
since  it  was  establishcii. — but  its  leadintj  insiiiiitions  are  al- 
rea(]y  fairly  starled,  and  there  is  fair  prospei't  that  ihecaleii- 
laiioiis  will  not  be  liisappoiiiied,   from  which   it   was  inlerieii 

*Tl.o  llcliort  nf  I'-.VT,  tlu'  l:i't  iiriiitoj,  is  si^nocl  liy 

(i   {',    VcrijI.iMck,  S:iiiiucl  Snii'li.  Mnijiir  vf  Uri'ilJi/ii, 

A    II    l.iiwri'iice,  iluliiri  li    Mniiiini. 

Cvrii- Curtis,  (;    S    Wnoillnill    .'.,\^:(ir  if  Niii:  Vurk, 

.Iiihii  E.  Di'velin,  Aildlpli  I!cic!i'\   iM, 

<;iej;ory  Dillon,  Win.  JIcAnlle. 


•?^ 


!  lioad-moncy 
iii)oiiiitin<;  ill 
t:o,  imdfr  tlit? 

to,  U'llO  Ikivi! 
lii^  llio  period 
or  coiiiimiU'd 
of  tliG  l*()or, 
r  its  pnrpo.scs 

0  I'iiist  Hivcr, 
)iis  liospiials, 
its  assisiiuice 
riiio  Hospital, 

u'lio  oil  ani- 
scast's. 

slaiid,  lliat  ill 
•(•iiiMiniiii!;.  oil 
id  Giiility-loiii' 
lat  yt'ar.  At 
persons  wore 

'oinmis.>ioii  to 
DO  siiuill  pox 

!  city  of  \ow 
erior  counties 
;'  years  in  the 
if  ilie    Hoard, 

If  desiruhle, 
Sard's  Island. 
It  the  nnionnt 

persons   be- 

1  seciiriiis;  as 
X  tills  IJoard, 
leiiiliers  have 
,'  add,  III  hiiili 
lieir  lahorions 
lO  Hoard  has 
lite  (ive  years 
iitioiis  are  al- 
lat  ihe  oalcii- 
was   infened 

■■■"/•  y'  A'c».'  Yurk, 


i 


31 

that  tlio  rovontios  of  the  Hoard  wotild  lie  equal  In  its  wants. 
All  oceasional  oiithroak  of  complaint  in  the  .New  York  papers, 
shows  that  they  are  ea^'erly  waiehed.  Hut  tliey  liiivo  always 
been  able  to  justify  tlieinselves  in  face  of  most  sellish  and  bit- 
ter criticisms. 

'^riio  iriyaiitic  duties  of  the  Hoard,  do  not  ])revciit  an  erono- 
iiiy  winch  recommends  itself  to  its  in  onr  lavish  and  itieliiciont 
pauper  expenditure.  For  the  Siatoof  ,\e\v  York,  by  the  a<;eii- 
ey  of  this  Hoard,  in  !S'I).  took  the  entire  necessary  charije  of 
l'.).S:^:;i  rinisirant  ))aiipers  in  its  institiilioiis  for  ;j^;:]:il.'.Hl()  TiK, 
and  relieved  II  :!(')S  transient  applicants,  at  an  expense  of 
.^I7,(i.")  lf)l  ;  a  total  of  :]|;i<)ll  persons  hir  .'s:!l')<.»..')C)I  :;'.».  This 
is  Mil  aviTaL!e  of  ,>sl().2I  for  those  supported  in  institiitions:  — 
ii:i(l  of  .sit). 77  oil  the  wholi!  number.  The  Staic  of  .Massa- 
chusetts in  the  same  year,  by  its  3211  ditlerent  Hoards.  ;iiidiii  the 
Insane  Asylum,  took  similar  ehari.'e  of  l:i..")()3cmiLMaiit  paupers, 
at  ail  expense  of  .'^:iGS,bj2  17.  This  is  an  averagi;  of  N;il,.";() 
each. 

Of  tliis  immense  sum,  ,*-};l0o.0S7  96  was  paid  directly  from 
the  Treasury  of  the  State,  wliicli  lias  probably  still  to  dis- 
charge some  considerable  demands  on  the  same  account. 

The  fact  that  the  charge  of  the  very  same  class  of  people 
should  cost  so  mnch  more  in  onr  State  than  in  .\ew  York — 
is  accounted  for,  in  an  instant,  by  the  fact,  that  with  us,  three 
hundred  and  twenty  town  boards, — the  Siiperintendent  of 
Aliens  and  the  Government  of  the  liunatic  A.sylt;m  have 
cliarun  of  tli(>  expenses,  which  in  Xew  York  arc  under  the 
siip(>rvision  of  one  em^rgetic  body.  Atld  to  this  the  fact  that 
nearly  one  third  of  the  money  which  these  boards  sfieiid  is 
from  a  Treasury,  the  State's, — for  which  they  have  no  respon- 
sibiliiy ;  — and  asiaiii,  the  ingenious  temptations  which  our 
Statutes  contrive,  nmler  which  the  several  towns  keep  these 
])oor  peojile  traveling  from  place  to  f)lace,  at  the  e,xpens(!  of 
the  public  : — and  a  variation  of  cost, — even  as  considerable 
as  that  which  exists. — is  accounted  for. 

These  fi<rur(>s,  howeviM-,  suggest  another  question.  Why 
does  lAIassiiclinseits,  with  a  population  of  only  l.OllO.tlOK.  in 
whose  borders  in  seven  years  past,  only  1:^3,8-^(5  persons  have 
arrived  from  abroad,  sustain  at  the  charge  of  the  public,  a 
number  of  foreimiers  more  than  three-tilths  that  which  the 
State  of  New  York  finds  it  necessary  to  sustain  with  her  pop- 
ulation of  3, (lOl). (UK), — and  an  arrival  in  the  same  time  of  more 
tliaii  I. (KID. (1(10  persons  t'lom  beyond  the  sea?  A  partial  an- 
swer to  this  question  is  in  the  did'erence  between  our  rlassdi- 
cation.  under  our  law  of  setilrmeut,  of  persons  as  forciyners, 
from  tliat  which iiolds  in  iSew  York.     IjuI  this  answer  is  only 


k 


w 


li 


32 

partial.  a!ul  by  no  moans  moots  tlio  fact,  that  whilo,  on  any 
calculation  of  proportion,  wo  onulil  to  liavo  nlioiit  ono-sixtli 
tlio  nninltor  of  fi»n«iii;n  pimpcrs  wliicli  .New  York  lias, — wo 
Iiavo  t'linr  linios  that  proporliDM  !  'I'o  tlioso  (piostions  tho 
full  answer  is  I'oinid  in  onr  l('n:islation  anil  tlial  of  tlio  other 
Now  I'iimlanil  Siatos,  to  wljicli  I  shall  at  another  time  direct 
vonr  aticniion. 


Xo.    VT. 


wiir.ui;    i'lir,   i:mi(ik.\ni's  co.- 

AllSOinU'.N'lS. 


-SIMM  I  l,.VI  r,     VMV. 


^1 


,ii 


'ill 


I  retnrn  to  speak  of  the  position  of  the  emigrant  on  his  ar- 
rival. 

Wo  havo  been  looking  only  at  tho  case  of  tho  .<;ioK'  and 
otherwise,  dostilnto.  in  New  \'oik  ilieso  are  cared  for  by 
the  Suite  l}oar<l  at  tlie  Kefuyo  at  Ward's  Island,  of  wiiicdi  I 
have  before  spolceii, — in  IJoston  liv  tlio  iioston  local  aiithorili(^s, 
at  tho  (wpenso  of  the  city,  at  Deer  Island,  at  the  iunnonse 
I'oor  IIoiis(>,  which  has  been  christened  '•  JiOrd  Xornianhy's 
Palace.-' 

Mnt  tho  larso  proportion  of  the  omicrants  havo  boon  sent  for 
by  tiieir  t'riends  already  here.  At  tlio  very  least,  they  have 
the  address  of  soiiii'  cunntrv'inon  who  h;ive,  anticipated  them 
hiTe.  and  from  whom  thoy  hope  for  wolcomo.  As  yon  go  on 
hoard  an  emigrant  ship,  yon  will  bo  amused  to  find  how 
wid(!ly  scattered  these  fellow-pas-;en<:ers  will  ho  in  a  li'w  days. 
'riio>o  who  came  well  provided,  readily  lind  their  way,  of 
ci)nrso,  to  llio>e  several  desiinatioiis,  and,  for  a  larizc  number 
of  tho  emigrant  f)a.'-seiig(>rs,  lliert!  is  no  more  need  {o  make 
the  special  provision  to  insure  their  passage  to  their  friends, 
than  tor  passengers  hy  a  steam  packet  from  Liverpool.  IJiit 
ainoim  L!l)t),(ji)i,)  in  a  year,  liiore  will  bo  many  not  ihns  pio- 
viiled  for. 

|}(  (h  in  IJoston  and  Now  "^'ork,  therefore,  at  the  ollice  of  the 
Siip'rinteiidonce  of  I'liniL'ration,  especial  |)rovision  is  niiulo  for 
tluse  also  who  havo  friends  in  this  country,  whose  address 
•ley  know,  while  ihoy  have  not  means  to  reach  them.  As 
sor  1  as  such  persons  ap[)ly,  a  rcijislry  of  their  names  and  their 
friends  is  made,  and  a  letter  addressed  to  the  friend  in  (iiies- 
tioii  informing  liini  of  the  facts,  and  asking  for  a  remittance 
for  the  traveling  expenses  of  the  emigrant.      In  Mew  York 


-^ 


•  >•> 


;Iii|p,  on  any 
init  ono-sixtli 
)rk  lias, — \v(i 
|iirstii>MS  tlio 
I  of  llid  other 
or  tinu'.  direct 


IK   TIIK 


ant  on  Iiis  ar- 

tlio  sick  and 
caivd  lor  by 
1,  of  which  I 
al  antlioriti(^s, 
the  ininuMisc 
NornKinl)y'.s 

boon  sent  for 

ist.  lliey  liavo 

ipaicd  them 

As  yiMi  CO  on 

to   lind    how 

a  few  days. 

leir   way,  of 

aitro  nnniher 

'ed  to   make 

heir  friends, 

erpnol.      IJnt 

lot  thns  pro- 

e  olPiCfi  of  the 
1  is  iiiadf!  for 
I  lose  address 
1    them.     As 

nes  and  their 
lend  in  (jiies- 
a  remiliance 

1  New  York 


n 


t 
i 


tlicro  arc  so  many  of  tlicse  applications  thai  one  clerk  is  con- 
stantly em|)love(l  in  fdling  ont  the  printed  circniar  letters,  an  * 
kee|iiiig  tile  reLi;islry  of  these  applicants,  it  is  to  he  nieinioiied, 
as  greatly  to  the  credit  of  enn^iaiits  already  al  homo  here,  that 
answers  are  rec(;ived  to  the  greater  part  of  these  letliMS, — -o 
that  when  the  emigrant  ap|ilies  a  second  time  to  the  ollice,  ir  is 
able  to  forward  iiiin,  at  his  friends'  expense,  to  them. 

The  simple  form  of  application  is  the  following,  copied  from 
the  iS'ow  York  blank.     The  Uosion  blank  is  nearly  the  same: 

Office  of  the  Commisskintiis  of  E.miuuatio.n, 

N,w  York,  IBS 

arrived  here  on  the  of 

from  ,  and  beingr  wiihoiil  means  to  proceed  on  to  yon,  rc(iuest 

nil!  10  int'ornn  you  thereoC,  and  lo  ask  you  for  llio  necessiry  aid. 

Any  nion-y  you  iniysend  to  my  address,  at  theOiri'e  of  the  f'ommis- 
sidoers  (if  I'liMitrrition,  will  he  carefully  appropriated,  and  ilie  |)iri  fofkMiKUd 
aecordinir  lo  dirociions  without  delay.  Gknkiiai.  Aisknt. 

Snbject,  then,  to  the  only  remaining  dangers  which  resnit 
from  his  own  dullness,  or  his  ignorance  of  the  laiignage  and 
customs  of  the  country,  the  emigrant  starts  for  his  new  home, 
and  takes  his  chance  in  it.  From  this  moment,  having  be(!ii 
once  provided  for,  we  may  let  him  pass  from  the  present  in- 
quiry. The  confidence  with  which,  in  entire  ignorance,  emi- 
grants go  forward  to  their  homes,  all  unknown  as  those  homes 
are,  but  by  natne,  is  remarkable.  I  once  traveled  from  iNow 
York  to  I'hiladelpliia  with  a  hundred  (jJermaiis,  all  going  to 
the  West,  not  one  of  whom  understood  enough  bjiigiish  to 
know  what  the  clerk  of  the  boat  meant  when  he  called  tor 
their  passage  tickets;  nor  had  they  any  interpreter  with  them. 

The  daily  experience  of  our  large  seaport  towns  shows 
how  thei:e  emigrants  work  their  way  into  employment,  who 
have  no  special  plans  when  they  arrive,  or  no  relatives  to 
provide  for  tliom.  The  clanish  spirit  of  the  Irish,  which 
has  ruined  them  in  one  country,  and  does  a  great  deal  to 
ruin  them  in  another,  attracts  them  at  once  to  persons  to 
whom  they  have  the  slightest  tie  of  consanguinity  or  neighbor- 
liood.  For  instance,  it  is  within  my  own  observation,  that  in 
tins  winter  of  18.1l)-5l,  fourteen  persons,  fresh  from  Ireland, 
came  in  on  the  cabin-ho«pitality  of  a  woman  in  Worcester, 
because  she  was  the  cousin  of  one  of  the  party — all  of  whom 
had  sailed  together.  I  need  not  allude  to  the  jealousy  wiih 
which  they  regard  persons  of  other  factions  than  their  own,  or 
from  distant  parts  of  Ireland. 

The  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Pauperism,  in  Boston, 
estat)lislies  a  free  intelligence  otiice,  which  is  an  elfective  labor 
(exchange.  In  the  last  year  it  turnished  places  to  3,137  per- 
sons. Contractors  and  others  who  employ  manual  laborers, 
5 


% 


8* 


¥ 


^ 


;n 

appiv  (lircc^Ir  to  i\Tr.  ATimnio,  llit*  SiiporiiitcndcMit  of  Alien 
J*ass('ii;;pr.s.  who  worlis  with  tact  ami  (■iipr!:;\'  in  at  oiicd  yi'tling 
dir  those  who  will  i;o  to  those  who  will  ( inploy  thorn. 

Tins  is  III!  that  Can  he  said  ot' any  pnblic  arraiii-'cnicnt  in 
IJiistoii.  Tho  New  ^'oI•k  Coniniissionns  izo  ralhrr  |';trilicr. 
'riicy  have,  oslahlishcil  an  '•  Intclliiicnco  (.Mlico  and  Labor 
llxcliaiiLM',''  wluM'c  oinim'aiit  applicants  iiic  supplied  not  u\\\y 
Willi  iiilurination,  hut  when  n  is  necessary,  with  lodymir, 
hieaki'iist  Mild  snpper,  izratniionsly.  Tliese  supplies  are,  of 
eoiirse,  (if  the  simplest  kind.  i'ut.  it  will  hi-  rcineiid)ered,  that 
till'  IJoard  having'  received  tliese  peojjle's  nioiuy,  is  in  a  niea- 
5iir(>.  res|ionsihIe  lor  iheni.     The  system  ■works  a.s  follows: — 

'The  ollice  is  a  lar^e  l)iiildiin;.  formerly  1  lielievo  a  carriatie 
vepusitory,  in  ('anal  street,  .New  ^'ork  — a  ceniral  position.  It 
is  lu'o  stories  hi'^h.  M'lie  la  rue  halls  of  the  lower  stories  are 
arranged  with  loii<f  seats,  where  at  almost  any  lime  yon  will 
thid  a  throiiLT  of  iiicn.  women,  and  (diililren,  wailiii;::  for  some 
man  to  hire  them.  I'p  stairs  an;  a  series  of  coarso  i)enhs, 
(piite  similar  to  those  to  which  the  enli^rant  ha.'  I)een  aecns- 
toiiu'd  on  ship-board, — antl  arrangements  for  f:;i|'plying  bread 
to  those  who  may  bo  destitnte  tiinoni^  the  appiii'ants.  Any 
lal)orcr  in  want  of  occupation  may  render  himseif  hero.  Here, 
niider  the  arrangement  of  the  Oilicp,  ho  may  sleep,  and  here, 
he  is  sure  of  shelter.  If  he  is  disabled  from  sickness,  he  is  sent 
to  the  Ijinim'ant  Hospital.  If  ho  can  work,  however,  here  is 
his  chance  for  (indiiig  emi)loyment. 

i\o  retrisiry  is  kept  of  those  applying;  bnt  when  a  con- 
tractor wishes  hands,  perhaps  in  a  distant  comity  or  stale,  the 
oiiiier  in  charge  proposes  tlic  terms  to  those  in  waiting,  and 
makes  np  the  recpiisito  force,  and  forwards  them.  He  takes 
care,  of  course,  not  to  send  Orange  Men  and  their  enenncs 
together,  if  the  contractor  is  wise,  he  specilies  in  his  rc(pi(;st 
the  sort  of  hands  he  wants,  whether  they  shall  be  Connaught 
men,  Corkonians,  or  (iermans,  or  Eni^lish. 

To  the  .same  ollice  ladies  come  wdio  wish  to  select  their 
domestics,  and  may  generally  have  a  selection  from  some  luui- 
drrds. 

If,  after  a  few  days,  a  man  is  fonnd  to  bo  shirking  work, — 
refusing  to  take  np  with  any  of  the  jiroposals  made  to  him, — 
he  is  dismissed  from  the  establishment,  and  its  privileges. 
The  one  advantage  which  it  has  over  the  smaller  operations 
of  our  "Society  ior  the  Prevention  of  Panperism,"  is,  ihar  it 
can  keep  its  applicants  from  actual  sntfering,  for  lire  and  shel- 
ter, while  they  are  munnployed.  Several  hundred  persons 
have  in  an  exigency  slept  nnder  its  roof.  In  the  present  winter 
il  has  been  overtlowing,  and  the  Board  had  to  provide  tem- 
porary accommodations  at  short  notice  and  with  groat  dilli- 


35 


nt  of  Alien 

MI). 

[UiirciiK'iit  in 
licr   t';ii'ilicr. 

and  l.;il>nr 
lied  ni)t  only 
ill)  Itiduiiiir, 
plies  are,  of 
inhered,  that 

is  in  a  niea- 
!  Ibllows: — 
0  a  earnas:e 
position.  It 
V  stories  an^ 
inii!  ytiii  will 
iiii:;  for  soini; 
)arso.   herihs, 

i)een  acciis- 
"plyiiii?  hread 
ieants.  Any 
fhore.  Here, 
•ep,  and  here 
3SS,  he  is  sent 
ever,  lioro  is 

when  a  Con- 
or state,  tho 
waiting,  and 
ri.  He  takes 
their  enennos 
in  his  rc(jn(!st 
j(>  Connanght 

)  select  their 
nn  some  han- 
king work, — 
ade  to  him, — 
its  privileges, 
ler  operations 
m,"  is,  that  it 

lire  and  shel- 
idred  persons 
present  wniter 

provide  tein- 
th  great  dilii- 


% 


cnlty.  'J'here  are  as  yet  no  direct  statistics  of  its  otiiciency  or 
Its  cost,  as  it  was  not  estahlislicd  till  last  winter,  and  has  not 
heeii  a  year  m  I'lill  operation. 

Another  agency,  in  connection  with  tho  New  York  Hoard, 
has  proved  sj  ellectivc  that  I  descrihe  its  details  helore  closing 
this  paper. 

.Some  years  since,  Mr.  .losepli  Davis,  a  farmer  of  New  .ler- 
soy,  engaged  in  New  York  some,  emigrant  (Jermans  as  work- 
people on  his  I'artn.  So  serviceahle  did  they  prove,  that  on  his 
visits  to  New  York,  his  neighhors  rreqiieiitly  commi^sioiicd  Iniii 
to  eiii.M!.'e  tor  them  men  or  women  a.s  "help,"  to  siii)ply  tin; 
demand  for  lahor,  so  constantly  coinj)lained  of  in  the  agriciil- 
tinal  districts.  'I'lies(!  commissions  eventually  hecame  so 
e.Mimsivc  that  Mr.  Davis  entirely  gave  np  ins  I'armiiig  hii.siiiess, 
re-arranged  his  okl  Iniildings,  and  adapted  new  ones  to  the 
purposes  of  a  J;al)or  ilxchange,  in  the  heart  of  an  agricnltnral 
county. 

His  plan  is  this  :  His  home,  wliero  he  can  now  receive  at  a 
time  moH!  than  a  hmidred  persons,  is  threes  or  tbiir  miles  from 
a  railroad  station,  some  thirty  miles  from  Anihoy.  He  goes  to 
New  York  to  the  emigration  oUlce,  and  agrees  with  a  party 
of  new-comers, — perhaps  a  hnndred  at  a  time, — to  find  them 
work  on  farms.  He  immediately  takes  this  pariy  to  his  home, 
their  traveling  exj)enses  to  that  point  heing  paid  by  the  com- 
mission in  ?\c.\v  York.  The  emigrant  is  tiiere  away  trom 
the  temptations  and  frauds  of  a  large  town  or  of  a  stream  of 
travel.  There  he  lives  at  Mr.  Davis's  expense  till  some  one 
hires  him. 

It  is  not  long,  as  it  proves,  before  ho  is  hired.  iMr.  Davis's 
establishment  is  well  known  through  the  neighboring  coiintii's. 
Farmers  in  want  of  help  travel  even  thirty  or  li)rty  miles.  J 
am  told,  for  the  convenience  of  selecting,'  such  men  or  women 
a.s  answer  their  pnrposes.  At  his  estaiilisliment  they  make 
their  own  bargain  with  those  waiting  there.  Aiul  wlien  the 
bargjiin  is  closed,  the  empb^yer  carries  his  laborer  to  his  farm, 
payini?  Mr.  Davis  fonr  dollars  as  his  fee  in  the  transaction. 

'I'liis  fonr  dollars,  is  by  agreement  deducted  from  the  hibor- 
(M-"s  (irst  earnings  in  Ins  new  home.  Jt  detVays  Mr.  Davis's 
expenses  in  this  wide  sweeping  undertaking.  And  it  also 
])lays  this  important  part,  that  each  employer  feels  obliged  by 
his  interest  to  keep  the  laborer  till  the  four  dollars  have  been 
repaid  which  he  has  advanced  for  him.  However  dnll  the  men 
or  women  may  be,  or  niinsed  to  our  ways,  it  is  qnite  certain 
that  they  will  stay  on  the  farms  where  tli(>y  are  engaged,  till 
each  of  them  has  done  fonr  dollars'  worth  of  work.  This  in- 
snres  a  fair  trial  on  both  sides.  If  then  the  employer  is  dis- 
satisfied he  may  send  the  emigrant  back  to  Mr.  Davis.     IJiit  if 


11    J 


mi 


i  •f'"' 


;iG 


In"  ni;,Mi;ts  iiiiotluT  ill  liis  pliico,  ho  advaiitros,  of  course,  four 
(lolliirs  iiiiirc. 

I  iiiii  MSMiird  tli;i»  ihis  very  .sim|)l«  syslom  lias  raised  the, 
viiliif  1)1'  rariiis  III  Ni'W  .liT.scy  very  iiialerially;  lariiis  now 
iiciii^  ll^^^l  a^  dairy  farms,  \vlii(!li  could  not  lie  so  Uoed  I'or- 
iiK'ily.  for  waul  of  woiuaii's  labor.  1  do  not  doubt  tbis,  as 
Mr.  havis  alone  has  thus  introdneed  in  four  years  into  New 
.lersi'y.  several  ihonsand  hands.  Il»!  assured  me  lliai  he  never 
lieiird  of  but  two  of  these  |»ers(>ns  in  the  eoiinly  poor-boiises, 
whom  he  sent  for  at  once,  thai  he  inii,dit  not  have  the  discredit 
of  iiiiro  hiciiiij;  pmipers  into  the  Sti>t(\  'I'ho  large  proportion 
of  those  Whom  he  eiiuages,  are  women. 

I  cannot  but  wish,  that  some  enierprisiiii,'  and  hinnanc  man, 
in  any  ai;ric;iilliiral  ret^ion  in  New  laigland,  woiilil  altem[il 
some  similar  arrangements. 

This  is  tho  (irst  practical  sucacsiion  I  have  ventured  to 
niiike  in  these  letters.  It  is  the  application  of  the  ucneral 
])riiieiple,  to  which,  in  this  amazing  problem  of  the  ''Celtic 
llxodiis,"  all  action  of  (jJovernment,  or  of  individuals,  is  to  he 
applied.  The  Irishman  must  bo  snrronnded  by  Americans. 
Ills  children  mn.st  be  Americans.  He  must  not  be  left  in  clans 
in  large  cities.  Better  than  that  it  would  l)e  for  him  to  st;iy 
in  tin;  wider  space  and  belter  vniiilation  of  Coimaiight.  liv- 
ery facility  must  he  oll'ered  to  draw  him  to  those  scenes 
where  his  labor  is  wanted,  and  where  ho  and  his  children  have 
fair  chance  in  their  new  home. 

1  have  placed  at  the  head  of  this  letter,  therefore,  tlie  motto, 
"Stimnlaie  the  Absorbents."  Every  country  village  through- 
out the  laud  has  its  opportunities  to  furnish  a  happy  home  to 
one  or  more  of  these  exiles.  If  every  village  h  ul  absorbed  its 
share — .so  that  the  2, (KM), 000  native  Irishmen  now  in  this  coun- 
try were  equally  distributed  through  it — we  should  have  in 
Boston  some  10.000,  instead  of  the  10,000  who  are  so  crowd- 
ing eacfi  other  there,  and  who.se  children  die  with  liie  most 
terrible  mortality  that  the  civilized  world  has  ever  seen.  Hacii 
country  town  would  have,  say  eight  persons  of  Irish  birth  to 
every  hundred  of  its  population,  a  pro|)oriiou  none  too  large  to 
give  to  it  (hose  elements  of  vivacity  and  good  liumor,  which  we 
are  promised  our  iiard-workiug  population  shall  receive,  from 
this  emigration  of  an  exhausted  race. 

The  gradual  extension  of  Catholic  church  accommodation 
facilitaios  this  absorption  by  the  country  at  large  of  the  emi- 
gration. Every  benevolent  person  who  adopts  an  Irisli  orplian 
Irom  a  poor  hon.se,  assists  it.  The  impression  generally  held, 
that  the  attachment  with  which  the  Irish  regard  their  religion, 
is  an  obstacle  to  it,  is  undoubtedly  well  lonnded.  But  that, 
obstacle  is  not  insuperable,     it  is  broken  over  every  day.     I 


a? 


coursi%  fi)ur 

s  rniscd  ilio 
larnis  now 
so  u»t'(l  lor- 
)iil)t,  tins,  as 
irs  into  New 
luU  li(!  never 
poor-lionses, 
the  (iisciedil 
;c  pro|U)rliuii 

innanc  man, 
)nl(l  atteni[)t 

ventured    to 

the   liPiieral 

llio   "Cellic; 

nals,  is  to  bo 

Americans. 

>  left  in  claiis 

•  liiiu  to  stiy 

anj^lit.      I'.v- 

lliose   soenes 

:liildren  have 


bolievfl  it  is  n  coinnioii  obsorvnlion  amonu;  tlui  (.'atholii;  i)riesis, 
lliat  Ibe  Irisli  UDilvtnen  en'^' lued  on  lines  of  railway  far  distant 
(roiii  ilieir  cinirclies  ^radnally  leave  tlieir  control.  I  miii  rer- 
tain  that,  for  the  last  year  or  two,  the  entire  "ii;Int"  of  (he 
lalior  niarket  ni  our  lar^e  eilies,  has  been  sucli  as  to  juit  an 
end  almost  always  to  iIk?  leliisjil  W(!  were  formerly  tised  to,  of 
Irisli  domestics  ti<  go  away  Ironi  towns  wlioro  there  was  Cath- 
olic worship. 

I  have  never  seen  reason  to  believe  that  the  mass  of  tin; 
Irish  ar(!  attached  to  the  llotnan  Catholic  relisjioii  as  matltr  of 
faith.  It  is  inatter  of  national  pride,  and  of  tlin  gallantry  of 
those  who  livi'd  where  it  has  been  perseciiled.  A  Caiholic 
con-ircLiation  lien;,  nnder  the  charf^e  ot  an  llnulish  or  I'reiuh 
priot  IS  almo.st  always  restless.  'I'licy  want  an  Irish  |)nest, 
lor  ilieir  inierest  in  their  faith  is,  tiiat  it  was  their  faith  in  their 
oppressed  lioim;. 

I  say  this,  by  the  way,  however,  simj)ly  to  show  that  there 
seems  no  iiisn|)erable  obstacle  to  any  system,  such  as  we  have 
now  so  lew  attempts  for,  which  should  brint;  laborers,  tVesli  on 
their  arrival,  dircictly  into  those  as^riciiltnral  regions,  which, 
even  in  New  l^ngland,  feel  so  great  a  want  of  maniial  labor. 

I'lvery  ell'ort  for  stimulating  these  absorbenis,  that  the  emi- 
gration may  be  more  easily  distributed,  is  an  advantage  to  liic 
emigrant  iiiiuself,  and  to  the  country  wliicli  receives  hiiu. 


•e,  tlie  motto, 

age  throngh- 

p[)y  home  to 

absorbed  its 

in  this  conn- 

)nld  have  in 

ire  so  crowd- 

ith   the  most 

seen.     Fiacli 

Irish  birlli  to 

e  too  large  to 

or,  which  we 

receive,  from 

comniodation 
B  of  the  enii- 
Irisli  orplian 
Mierally  held, 
ilieir  religion, 
d.  Unt  that, 
very  day.     1 


■'I 


i 


38 


No.    VII. 


i:.Mi(ii!ANT    iwrrEus. — the  law  of    settlement. 


i 


■ill 


m 


1  dovoto  this  ]i;iprr  to  some  farllior  consideration  (if  the 
arraiigeiiienls.  in  llic  several  States  lor  the  pnl)hc  relief  of 
tliose  loreimiers  who,  from  intemperance,  indolence  or  sickness 
become  panpers. 

*  In  Uostim,  in  1850,  tliP  not  pxppnsp  of  rclicvinsr  panpers, 

mil  incliidiiiji  iiiterist  tin  tliu  Alms  lldusc  Ki^l;^llli!^lllll('n^s,  was  $104,405  00 
(Iftlu:  persons  relieveil  liit  per  cent,  were  I'oreiyners. 

'i'JKit  pnipiirlKin  ol'  ilie  iimuiint  iilmve  is  $7:2,  039  45 

In  III!  MiiMsacJuisetis,  tlie  rxpeiis^e  inelii(!iii!.'  iiileresf  on  Alms 
House  esl-iblislimcnis,  was  StOTDJO  4'J  :  excindini,'  this,  it  was  $405,703   13 

'riiis  was  exjiended  on  95,081  persons,  of  whom  10,334 
were  I'nreifjners. 

The  [iroportion  of  tiic  above  expense  incurred  for  foreigners 
is  S'J--'-2.135  31 

]".\pf'MS(s  for  tlie  insane,  &c.,  raised  tiiis  amonnt  to  S  008,!? 5 'J   17 

In  tlie  city  "f  New  York,  the  ehaiijf  of  all  foreigners  who 
hnve  been  in  the  comnry  sinre  the  act  of  1817  devolves.  ;is  has 
lieen  explaiiu'd,  on  llit?  Ivnifiralion  ( 'oniniissioners.  Wholly 
exidn?ivi'  ot'  tlu'ir  expenses,  the  net  expenses  of  the  Governors 
of  till?  Alms  House  for  ClianUihle  Eslablijhments  and  I'risons 
m   1^50,  were  $380,534   31 

Of  which  fir  foreir^n  poor  was  enpended  S    (i0.5()7  05 

'l"he  (Nimnnssioners  of  iMiiiyration  m  the  same  time  expi'nded  $300,501   3!l 
In  I'luladilphia,  in  the  year  endiiiu  May  "Jl,  1^50,  the  Ciiiar- 
diaiis  of  the  poor  expended,  net  expense  $030,818  70 

*  I'he  New  York,  Fhdadelphia  and  Haliiniore  re|iorts  for  1S51 
are  not  yet  published.  I  therefore  lelain  iiere  the  Massachii- 
.seils  fiijures  for  1850,  that  the  comparisons  made  in  this  [lajier 
uiav  be  more  exact. 

From  our  own  .State  documents  it  appears  that  in  1851  :  — 

In  Hosloii  the  net  expenses  of  relief,  not  inoludini.;  interest  of 
Alms  House  i'lslablishiiienls  was  $117,875 

Ol  the  jiersons  relieved  here  nearly  04  per  cent,  were  for- 
eiijners.     That  proporiion  of  the  anioniii  above  is  $75,440 

ill  all  Massachusetts  the  expense  iiiehiding  interest  oncost  of 
cslabli.slimcnts  was  $181,088  01 

Ivxcluding  interest  It  was  $405,053   10 

This  was  expended  on  07,004  persons,  of  whom  12,040  were 
foreiL'uers. 

Tlie  proportion,  calculated  from  those  numbers,  of  the  above 
expense  incurred  for  foreigners  is  $169,950  00 

liesides  these,  0li5  lunaiics  were  maintained  at  the  Slate 
Asylum  at  the  charge  of  the  Stale  Treasury. 


IS 


39 


TPLEMKNT. 

deration  nf  ilin 
pul)!ic  rt'litf  of 
Mice  or  sicUncss 


Of  tl'.is  amomu  $  125.023  18  was  for  llie  support  of  tlicir 
inimi'iise  instiliiiion,  llie  Hlncksley  Alms  House.  In  tins  cslal)- 
isliiiieiit  ill  IHlS-l'J,  there  were  roeeivcd  4,0 '(H  forciiiiier.s  and 
2,2(irt  Anu'ricaiis.  In  IHIO-.^O,  ilicie  wi^e  rrccivud  (),717  pcr- 
Sdiis  ;  say  l.^CJ  foroi^iicrs  and  2,102  A  iiu'ti(!ans. 

Ill  IJaliiniore  ("iiv  and  ("oi.iily  Alms  Ilimsc,  Hl,5  foreisjiiers 
were  refeivod  in  IH'jO:  —  and  705  natives.  There  were  i)esides 
000  when  the  year  liepan.  'Die  Stale  of  Maryland  liavinij  no 
fieiieral  pauper  law,  the  smaller  eonnties  ajjpear  to  send  tlicir 
pnor  (]nite  yiMierally  to  IJaliimore  to  be  snpporled  at  the  e.\- 
piuise  of  thai  ('ity  and  (loiiniy. 

The  iiei  (diarge  to  the  City  in  1850,  for  these,  and  out-door 
expenses  was 

And  lo  the  County 


S20,!):i-,  .10 
5,523  03 

$20,521  09 


ers, 

,  was  $104,405 

00 

$72,  03!) 

45 

Alms 

t  was  $  405,703 

13 

2,334 

igncrs 

$222,135 

31 

§208,852 

17 

s  who 

;is  has 

niolly 

eriiors 

risoiis 

S3S0.534 

31 

S    00.507 

05 

.ended  8  SOU, 50 1 

:iii 

Ciiiar- 

$232,618 

70 

.r  1851 

saclui- 

paper 

1  ;  — 
;rest  of 

re  for- 
cost  of 

0  were 
3  above 
e  Slate 


8117,875 

$75,440 

$481,088  21 
$405,053   r..l 


Those  items  of  expense  nssist  ns  in  niakiu'j;  out  some  esti- 
mate of  the  iiinriber  of  foreign  naiipers  receiving  pnl)|ie  relief 
in  IS,")0.  'V\n^y  are  drawn  front  the  few  reports  of  Oliicers 
of  the  Poor  wliirli  iiave  been  printed.  Mailing  up  the  account 
for  tlie  number  of  persons  relieved,  it  stands  thus:  — 


Bitston  —  Foreifrners  rrliovcd, 
Olhrr  parts  of  MassachiiSLlls, 
Foreiijn  pauper  Lunatics, 

M.VSSACllUSKTTS, 

Ni-ir  Yorh  Vihj  — 

Foreiiiners  relieved  by  Emigration  Commission,  lIos|iital 
and  Asyliiii), 

]ly  Lodijine,  forwardinsx,  &c., 

]iv  Hoard  of  10  (Joveiiiors, 

Olh  r  jiar/s  of  JSriv     Yorl;  — 

Foreijjiiers  relieved  by  iMiiifzratioii  Commission, 

Foreiijners  relieved  by  County  oliicers;  say 

Niow  Yoinc  iST.vTE, 

Pliilad'Iplna:  V,\\y  and  Districts,  [from  May  '49  to  May 

Forai(rurs  —  Alms  House, 

Out  door  relief;  sav 


Ballimnrc  ;  City  and  ('ounty  — 

Fii7-(ii;ncrs — Alms  House,  about 

Out  door  relief,  about 

Lunatics, 

German  and  Hibernian  Societies 


$2,000 
$2.'.)74 
$     192 


say 


0,144 

0,190 

109 


13.885 
14.308 
33,038 

5,937 
10,000 

'50] 

4,325 

24,000 


1,150 


2.000 


12,503 


77,228 


28,325 


3,150 
121,200 


$  169,959  20 


Deficient  as  tliese  statements  are,  they  give  a  nearer  ap- 
proach to  the  number  of  foreign  p;inpers  relieved  in  the  Atlan- 
tic Stales,  than  you  would  at  lirst  suppose. 

Vhe  reports  from  whicii  I  iiave  compiled  them  embrace,  it 
is   true,  only  the   States  of   Massachusetts  and   New   York, 


F/ 


i' 


$ 

i 


J 


k 


40 

and  tlio  cilies  of  Haltiinoro  and  I'liiladolphia.  Hut  yon  will 
observe,  that  they  thus  eiiii)raeo  all  the  Atlantic  ])oris  which 
rci-eivo  any  considerahio  nnmher  of  eiumranis,  ami  tin!  two 
largest  eniiHuerei  il  Stal.vs.  'rhirttHMi-lilliienlhs  of  all  the  (Mui- 
Lrrants  to  the  country  arrive  wiihin  these  liuuts;  —  and  of  the 
lenrunder  almost  all  arrive  at  New  Orleans. 

On  their  arrival,  it  is  true,  they  scatter  in  diflerent  direc- 
tions. Mnt  the  custom  is  hecoming  universal  an)oui^  the  re- 
lieving oHicers  of  dilferenl  sead)oard  Stales,  to  consider  paii- 
))(Ms  a  charge  on  the  State  where  they  landed.  Wherever, 
therefore,  it  is  an  economy  to  do  so,  the  custom  now  is  gen- 
eral, to  pay  their  passage  one  stage  towards  that  State.  So 
that  in  giving  these  accounts  of  these  States,  which  are  indeed 
all  I  can  tind  in  print,  I  am  sure  that  I  give  a  statement  very 
near  the  whole  amotmt  of  such  relief  allorded. 

For  even  in  Pennsylvania  and  .Maryland,  where  no  pauper 
I'ejjorts  are  j)riiited  hul  those  of  I'hiladelphia  and  Haltimore, 
the  custom  prevails  in  the  interior  counties  of  sending  the 
destitute  foreiiiners  to  those  cities.  These  cilies  receive  all  the 
head  money  ta.v,  and,  rightly  or  wrongly,  the  comities  practi- 
cally compel  them  to  talce  the  charge  of  emigrants.  In  Mary- 
land there  is  no  State  system  for  the  charge  of  the  poor.  The 
several  counties  niak'e  then*  own  arranaements.  Alleghany 
comity  makes  none,  but  sends  its  poor  direct  to  llaltiiuoro.  lu 
Pemisylvauia  they  publish  no  reports  of  their  proceedings, 
cxcep  iim  the  city  and  districts  of  I'hiladelphia. 

The  total  of  p(>rsous  relieved  in  ISjO  in  the  places  llms  indi- 
cated, is  l".il."2i)l).  Hut  it  must  lie  remembered,  that  to  the 
larger  jiortion  of  persons  included  here  the  relief  allorded  is 
but  a  tritle.  7.^.1M()  of  the  niiintter  received  only  what  is 
called  out  door  ri'lief  in  the  jioor  reports;  sup|)lies  namely  of 
wood,  provisions  or  monev,  which  are  given  where  needed; 
the  whole  family  relieved  bring  then  counted  among  the  |)an- 
j)ers  of  the  town.  The  avi>ragc  amount  paitl  to  each  person 
of  ihis  class  in  .New  ^ Ork  city,  by  the  IJoard  of  U)  (jiovernors, 
is  but  .si  (Vi,  and  [irobably  tin!  average  for  that  class  through- 
out the  whole  tables,  should  not  be  higher  than  s'i  each.  The 
])f  sons  in  Alms  Houses  and  Hospitals  are  those  whose  relief 
is  .nost  costly,  as  their  destitution  is  most  complete. 

The  arrangements  for  I'oreign  paupers  of  the  other  Atlantic 
Stales  of  the  North  arc  wholly  dilferent.  In  New  I-jiialaiid 
every  Siaie  has  its  poor-la vv,  based  on  the  principle  thai  each 
town  shall  be  at  the  charuv;  of  those  ptior  persons  who  have 
a  •' si'tilcinenl "  in  it.  ll'  then  one  town  rfliev(s  a  person 
wlio>.(!  '•  si'tileniMit  "  is  in  another  town  in  the  same  Slate,  the 
town  where  he  belongs  must  pay  the  amount,  if  it  have  been 
properly  notilied  of  the  fact.     The  dilferent  States,  liowever, 


41 


Jut  you  will 
pons  whicli 
mil  tin;  two 
'  111!  tlio  riiii- 
—  and  of  the 

(loroiit  dirrc- 
iiong  the  ro- 
ousider  pan- 
Wherever, 
now  is  gen- 
\t  State.  "  So 
:h  are  indt'ed 
atcnieut  very 

;re  no  panper 
id   niiitiniore, 

seiidnm;  the 
•eceive  all  the 
nilies  practi- 
s.  In  Mary- 
e  poor.  The 
Alleghany 
Jallimorc,     In 

proceedings, 

ces  llnis  indi- 
1,  that  to  the 
ef  atl'ordod  is 
only  what  is 
ies  nairiely  of 
here  needed ; 
long  the  paii- 
II  each  person 
U)  Giovernors, 
:lass  ihrongh- 
fi  eacli.  The 
3  whose  relief 
ne. 

other  Atlantic 
New  Knglaiid 
iple  thai  each 
ms  who  have 
>V(s  a  person 
\ine  State,  the 
it  liavo  been 
ites,  liowever, 


])rovi(lo  very  dilier(>ntly  for  those  persons,  who,  like  these  enn 
grant  ])a:ipcrs,  have  no  "seltleniciit  "  any  where, 

Alassachnsctts  alone,  inidertakes  in  a  manner,  to  snpjiort 
them  from  the  Treasury  of  the  State,  'I'he  anioimt  ot  this 
siijipDrl  has  heen  reduced  iVom  time,  to  time,  and  its  conditions 
restricted,  hut  at  present  this  is  its  general  feature,  that  any 
town  which  supports  a  panper  wiio  does  no  labor  at  all,  may 
receive  I'orly-niue  eenis  a  week  for  that  supjiort,  or,  if  he  he  a 
child,  tweniy-eiii;Iit  ceuls  a  week,  ironi  the  treasury  of  the 
Slate.  Funeral  expenses  of  such  persons  are  also  [laitl  le/ 
the  State.  v\nd  those  wlio  are  hmaiics.  amounting  in  IS."Jl 
to  21)5,  are  supported  at  the  Insane  Asylum  by  the  Slate, 
'^riiis  relief  is  r<!ndered  to  all  foreigners,  no  matter  how  loiu; 
they  have  resided  here,  unless,  which  is  very  unlikely,  they 
have  accpiired  a  "settlement"  in  any  town.  1  say  -'very 
unlikely,"'  for,  as  I  sludl  show,  it  is  very  much  nuM-e  didiciilt 
to  ac(piire  a  settlemenl  than  to  acquire  any  other  of  the  rights 
of  a  citizen. 

No  other  New  Mughuid  State  imdertak'es  any  such   system. 

(.■onuecticut  alone  reimhurses  her  towns  for  the  siipjiort  of 
disabled  paupers  for  the  fust  three  mouths  that  they  are 
chargeable. 

In  ?\e\v  flampshire  foreign  paupers  may  be  made  a  charge 
on  the  roiiiihj  treasuries. 

In  Maine,  Vermont  and  Rhode  Island,  the  overseers  of  the 
poor  in  each  town  are  boimd  to  take  care  of  them,  hut,  —  and 
this  is  provided  in  (Joimecticut  and  Rhode  Island  also,  Hfiij 
Tijinove  tliciii  nut  of  their  /iinits  at  discretion. 

In  fact  this  removal  is  the  practical  mensnre  adopfc^d.  "^I'lie 
practice,  in  ('omieciicut,  is  called  '■  shouldering  them  oil'."' — 
Uiie  town  sends  them  a  distance  of  two  or  three  towns, — they 
are  then  taken  np  and  forwarded  further,  till  they  have  eress- 
el  the  State  liii(\ 

To  a  certain  extent,  the  same  system  is  doulnless  carried  on 
by  poor-boards  in  Massachusetts.  Only  their  templatioii  to 
do  so,  for  saving  money  to  their  towns,  is  reduced  very  much 
l)y  the  State  Treasury's  (jrovitling  fully  half  the  chariii!  of 
such  paupers, — and  in  the  case  of  insane  persons,  the  whole 
charge  of  their  support, 

'I'he  result  is,  (liat  Massachusetts  supports  KJ.'-'O."  foreiiui 
paupers  from  her  State  and  local  Treasuries,  20')  of  them  iii 
the  expensive  care  of  her  Insane  Asylum  :— while  all  the  otiier 
^("sv  l-lnyland  States  do  not,  probably,  have  the  chari;e  of  one 
half  that  number. 

This  is  the  fu'st  result  of  her  system  with  regard  to  tlnMU. 

The  second  result  is  no  less  uid'ortunate. 
6 


11    '4 


:|H 


I" 


42 

The  duty  of  roliof  is  loft  to  ']2{)  local  boards.  It  k>  wliolly 
impossiljlc  for  tli(\so  lioanls  l<i  act  at  all  in  roiircrt,  —  iii  fact 
tlii'v  ;iro,  asiP::;ii(ls  tlic  fcniioiiiics  of  their  position,  direct  ciic- 
niu's  ot  each  oilier.  Not  onlv  so,  however,  hut  they  find,  hy 
our  leirislaiion,  a  hiirdcii  thrown  upon  them  from  iiei:jhhor 
States,  of  loroiiTii  panporisni.  of  which  the  Slate  undertakes 
to  he.-ir  a  consideralilt!  part.  It  is  impossible  to  expect  such 
boiirds  to  care  for  any  'rroasury  but  that  of  their  own  town. 
'I'liat  they  will  care  for.  IJiit  whatever  they  can  draw  from 
the  State  Treasury,  they  wid  draw.  And  llin  State  (Jovern- 
ineiu  therefore  has  bet'ii  ohliized  to  ijiiard  itself  against  imdiie 
drat'is  of  this  k-iiid,  by  sending  Commissioners  from  town  to 
town,  —  in  the  hope  that  hy  iwoor  three  animal  visits,  they  may 
solve  the  intricacies  of  the  mass  of  acoomits  which  go  to  niak- 
itiij  np  the  [taiiper  charges  of  the  Commonwealt!i. 

A  single  illiistralion  of  this  wretched  result,  where  town 
boards  arc  spending  other  people's  money,  is  in  the  cas(!  of 
bonded  paupers,  romplainis  are  already  made  by  ship  own- 
ers who  have  friveii  bonds  for  the  sick  expenses  of  emigrants 
hiiidiiiij,  that  the  poor  hoards  of  Massachusetts  make  the  most 
exorbitant  ciiarges  when  such  people  come  into  tiieir  keeping. 
'J'liis  IS  to  be  regretted  ;  hut  it  is  not  to  he  expected,  that  wiih- 
out  any  sn|)ervisioii,  or  inducement  to  economy,  they  should 
(Jo  otherwise.  I  have  already  shown,  in  my  letier  No.  1,  how 
this  action  has  tended  to  ilu;  injury  (d'oiir  packet  lines. 

The  next  result  which  1  will  mention,  is  the  eagerness  of  tlu! 
towns  to  prevent  foreianers  from  acquiring  a  "settlement" 
with  them.  It  is  of  course  desirable,  to  have  as  large  a  class 
dependent  on  the  State  'I'reasury  and  as  small  a  one  dependent 
on  the  lovn  treasury  as  possible. 

Here  (be  Stale,  enamored,  as  it  would  seeni.  of  its  I'liblic 
Pauper  expense,  encourages  the  towns  by  the  great  stringency 
of  its  laws  of  '•settlement." 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  not  one  in  a  hundred  of  the  for- 
eigners now  in  .Massachusetts,  or  of  the  children  of  foreimi 
birth  have  ypi  ac(]uired  '' setilement"  here,  or  lliat  one  in  five 
of  the  adult  eiiiii,Mauts  arriving!  here  ever  will.  TIk;  law  le- 
(|uires  ciiizeiishi|),  and  a  coiiMiiued  residence  in  one  town  of 
ten  years,  with  |)aynient,  in  that  lime,  ol  five  years'  taxes. — 
llveu  the  children  of  persons  who  hav(>  not  gained  this  setile- 
ment, thoiiuh  they  have  been  born  and  grown  up  m  the  town, 
do  not  acquire  settlement  for  themselves. 

'I'lie  result  i><,  a  |)erpetual  enlargement  of  the  class  of  "State 
I'aupers."  willi  all  its  evil  lestiils,  —  while  the  whole  theory  of 
our  |)au|)er  systeui  was  ihat  towns  who  have  die  benelit  of  a 
population  shall  support  it,  and  the  Statt;  only  meant  to  as- 
sume the  burden  of  those  who  were  vagrants,  perpetually 
moving  Irom  town  to  town. 


t 


for 


43 


It  Ui  wholly 
crt, — III  Tact 
.  clircM'l  rnc- 
hcy  fmd.  tiy 

111     lH'l;2llli«ir 

iiiuifitakcs 
pxprcl  such 
r  (iwii  linvii. 
11  draw  in  111! 
tato,  (Jdvcrii- 
i^aiiist  iiiidiic 
■0111  town  to 
its,  tlioy  may 
li  go  to  iiiak- 

wlicro  town 
1  tlie  cast'  of 
by  sliip  owii- 
of  (Miiiizraiits 
al<o  tlio  most 
heir  kcppiiii;. 
d,  that  wiili- 
tiicy  .should 
>r  .No.  1,  liow 

illPS. 

j;i'riicssof  tilt! 
"  sinilt'iiiciu" 
lartio  !i  class 
)iie  dependent 

of  its  I'lihlic 
■at  stringency 

red  of  the  for- 

(Mi  of  loreiirn 

It  one  ill  live 

The  law   le- 

I  one  town  of 

ears'  taxes. — 

ed  this  si'tile- 

111  the  town, 

ass  of  "State, 
Ii(>l«!  theory  of 
i-  benefit  nt   a 

mean  I  to  as- 
;,   perpetually 


In  the  present  arrangements  of  our  industry,  wliero  frequent 
removal  from  one  manufacturing  town  to  another  is  the  fu- 
%  lure,  almost  necessary.,  of  every  enter|)rising  workman,  it  is 
iiiilced  a  pily  tbat  that  removal  should  throw  liiin  and  his 
laiiiily,  ill  any  case  of  dcstitnlion,  out  of  the  list  of  ihosi;  for 
wliom  [li(>  town  ho  lives  in  should  provide;.  A  statute,  intend- 
ed mercdy  to  assume  the  charge  of  vagrants,  .should  not  so  de- 
sc  ibo  tlii'tn  as  to  iiiclnde  iialf  the  working  men  of  the  State. 

In  1H,"5()  I  made  application  to  the  Overseers  of  the  Poor  on 
liehalf  of  a  man  who  moved  into  the  town  in  is:>:i.  In 
IS  II  he  removed  from  it  for  six  montlis.  He  returned  in  ISli, 
and  from  that  time  he  paid  his  taxes  for  eight  years,  lit;  had 
been  naiiiralized  in  the  proper  form  also.  Seventeen  years  of 
residence  had  not  given  iiim  a  "settlement,"  however,  be- 
^  can.se  tliey  were  not  continuous, — nor  had  tax-paying,  nor  cit- 
izenship. Hccould  not  be  relieved  therefore  asa  pauper  belong- 
ing to  the  town,  i  may  add  that  the  overseers  would  gladly 
have  relieved  him  as  a  State  p.mper,  and  wished  to  do  so,  but 
that,  from  the  time  of  that  relief  ho  would  have  been  obliged 
to  hive  begun  a  now  ten  years'  probation.  The  children  of 
this  man, — all  born  in  the  town,  were  in  like  wise  a  charge  to 
the  Slate  Treasury. 

It  will  he  observed  that  this  stringent  law  does  not  in  the 
least  allect  the  necessity  of  supporting  the  persons  who  have 
no  "settlement."  It  only  creates  in  every  town  of  the  State 
a  class  of  persons,  most  of  whom  have  lived  there  for  years 
probably,  from  whom  every  year  come  those  poor  persons  who 
are  cinirgeable  in  part  to  the  Slate  'I'rcasury,  in  the  anouia- 
loiis  and  misystematic  way  I  have  dt^scribed,  instead  of  the 
town  tr(!asiiry,  according  to  the  simple  old  Saxon  arrangoment, 
which  we  had  from  the  beginning. 

No  other  IVew  I'lngland  State  is  nearly  so  strict. 
t>,   ^lassachusetts  requires  ten  years'  residence. 
^'   Alatiie  "        live     "  " 

i\'ew   llampsliire    "      seven  years'  poll  tax. 
Vermont  "       four        "       residence, 

(/omiecticut  "        six  "  " 

Rhode  Island  three  years'  residence  to  entitle  one  to  support. 

To  such  extent  do  these  States  provide  more  carel'nlly  for 
foreign  paupers  than  does  Massachusetts.  They  give  them 
support,  that  is,  in  the  town  which  has  been  made  their  home, 
by  a  residence  of  years. 

Iiiit  with  us  the  existence  of  a  class  who  almost  never  earn 
"settlement"'  is  perpetual  trouble  and  cause  of  useless  expense. 
The  temptation  is  iniiiHitise  to  s(!nd  them  to  some  other  town 
where  tliey  have  friends,  or  think  a  better  chance  will  open 
to  them.     Ten  thousand  dollars  a  year  is  a  small  estimate  for 


!»•" 


41 


llio  aiiiduiit  jiaid  l>y  tlio  piiMic  to  Uov\)  snrli  porsoiis  in  motion  ; 
am!  It  is  aliiuist  money  waslcti.  I'or  wliilo  I'axton  is  sending 
a  iii;;ii  lo  linwi'll.  l.owoll  may  1h'.  sciidinL;  omi  to  his  cousni  in 
rniliKiirj:,  ami  l-'ilclibiirLr  sciidimj  aiiotlicr  to  Paxtoii.  Witli 
a  milder  law. -if.  lor  insiaiiee,  eilizeiiship,  and  three  or  t'onr 
years"  rosidenec  ijiivc  a  "stttlement,"  siieh  dillieiihies  would 
he  miieli  reduced,  and  the  whole  system  he  iiKuie  more  simple, 
and   llieret'ore  cdicaper. 

I  know  iiow  hard  it  will  lie  to  persiiadi-  the  Leuislature  to 
interfere  witii  liie  •'  Law  ol'  Sctlleiunil."  1  know  it  is  a  stat- 
ute ol'  LM-eal  aniiipiity.  IJul  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that,  till 
It  is  aini'iided.  hinnanity  and  economy  nro  alike  inipossihle.  in 
tiie  <listril)iiii('n  ot"  our  maLruilieeut,  our  more  than  princely 
puhlic  chaiilu's.  And  I  must  say.  that  because  it  is  so  an- 
cient, it  is  (iuil(Mime  tliat  it  were  adapted  to  the  circiimst^-.nces 
arisiiiii  in  tlie  last  (piarl("r  eniliiry. 

It  was  nuuh!  lor  a  Suite,  of  iiative-l)orn  ])o|)nlation.  It  was 
lair  that  a  town  which  had  reared  a  man  should  support  hiin 
in  his  at:e,  unless  lie  had  lived  loiiij  olsowiiere.  'I'liere  were 
very  lew  persons  in  .MassachusiMts,  not  horn  in  Massachusetts. 
Anil  it  was  but  seldom  that  there  was  need  for  a  man  to  move 
fri)in  one  town  to  another,  except  to  reside  there  lor  life. 

!>iit  now  we  liave  created  a  mr-milacturiui,^  interest.  Its 
exigences  vacillate.  For  their  purposes  we  have  made  move- 
ment ( as\'.  If  needeil  at  Lawrence,  '.^(100  masons  and  linild- 
vrsciMi  </i hmif/i  upon  Jiawrencc.  and  do  their  work'  there.  We 
want  them  to  do  so.  Our  prosperity  depends  on  this  laeility. 
How  idle,  tiuMi,  to  retain  that  arranaement  of  law,  winch 
treats  men  who  for  seven,  eit^ht  or  nine  years,  iiave  established 
a  residence  in  a  town,  so  created,  as  if  they  wen;  r<iL;niii/s 
there ! 

A:^ain  : — onr  population  is  no  longer  nativi;  born.  A  tentii 
part  of  it,  probably  more,  is  foreign.  Yet  the  presence  of  that 
population  is  an  iimnense  beiielit  to  the  towns  wliere  it  is 
found,  'rrne.  the  new-comers  may  ho  a  ixirden  on  the  towns 
which  have  them.  Hut  in  three  or  four  years,  the  worth  of 
such  per.sons  to  a  town  is  as  great  as  it  will  ever  be.  And  it 
is  but  fair  that  such  resulents  should,  in  case  of  necessity,  be 
a  charge  to  the  town  which  they  have  worked  in,  and  have  en- 
richecL 

'I'he  fairest  system  of  settlement  in  matters  of  [lanjierism, 
Would  be,  to  say  that  that  town  should  care;  for  a  pau])er  em- 
igrant, m  which  he  had  lived  the  longest  since  lie  was  of  aue. 
But  if  this  seem  too  complicated,  a  system,  such  as  1  will  now 
give  a  sketch  of,  of  less  detail,  will  answer  onr  general  pur- 
poses. 


m 


# 


45 


s  ill  motion ; 
11  is  siMidiiit^ 

lis  (•OIISlll   HI 

<ti)n.  Willi 
I  ret?  or  lour 
uliics  wotilil 
iiKire  siiin>lo, 

t'gishiluit'  to 
v  it  is  ii  sl;>t- 
s;iy  tliiit.  nil 
ii|)ossil)U\  ill 
'i;ui  ])riiict'ly 
it  is  so  ail- 
irciiiusl-.iiccs 

tioii.  It  was 
support  luiii 
'riifio  were 

assaciiusolts. 

niaii  to  move 

lor  lift", 
interest.      Its 
made  move- 

iis  and  l)uil(l- 
V  t  lie  re.     We 

1  this  laeility. 

law,    wliieli 

e  esla])lislied 

ere  vinjryants 

>rii.  A  tenth 
seiicc  of  that 

s   wlierc  it  is 

on  the  towns 

the  worth  of 

r  he.  And  it 
necessity,  he 
and  have  eii- 

jf  pauperism, 
a  pauper  em- 

e  was  of  aue. 
as  1  will  now 

r  general  pur- 


M. 


Uecogiiize  it  as  a  principle,  that  a  man  who  lias  resided 
three  ytars  in  a  town,  has  t'arnod  a  rlulil,  in  time  of  need, 
to  its  charities;  to  support  (roin  its  own  treasury,  such  as  iL 
now  gives,  j)art  from  its  i>wn,  and  part  from  the  ^^tate's  treas- 
ury. 

'i'heii  you  may  acknowledge,  thnt  those  not  penuaneiit  res- 
idents for  thiee  years  in  any  town,  have  no  claim  upon  its 
treasury,  l)ut  should  ho  supported  wholly  from  the  Slaie's 
tieasnry.  They  are  now  supported  jiartly  from  the  town  ami 
partly  fr<im  the  Slate. 

Hy  this  (li>iin('t  suhdivision  of  (;!iari:e,  each  ]>arty  hears 
what  it  ouulit  to  hear.  There  is  one  point  gained,  that  the 
.system  is  just.  Hilt,  mor<'  than  this,  hecause  jusi,  it  heroines 
simple,  and  can  hi^  siinply  adinimstcred,  which,  with  the  pres- 
ent system,  is  whollv  iiii|)ossihle. 

ruder  this  aeiieiai  classidcaiioii,  which  is,  virtually,  that  of 
Xew  Y'ork".  I  will  now  add  some  suggestions  of  detail.  To 
spealc  ol'  the  class,  which  under  this  })lan  would  he  wholly  a 
State  ch.irge,  I  have  suggested  that  for  jieisons  not  three 
years  settlt>d  in  one  town,  tlu;  State  should  taUe  the  whole  care. 
Such  persons  have  not  aci|uired  any  claim  on  particular 
towns.  On  tla;  State  treasury  they  almost  all  Iikvc  a  c/ai//i, 
for  all  who  landed  here  have  paid  two  dollars  cacii  to  it,  on 
exact  condition  that  it  should  care  for  them  in  misl'ortmie.  Of 
these,  the  jarijer  portion  who  hecame  cliargeahle  would  he 
those  who  had  recently  arrived.  In  18.")(l,  ISIl  persons  re- 
lieved in  Alassachiiseits  had  l)een  only  one  year  in  the  Slate. 
In  IS.) I,  there  were  'JOOll.  Of  persons  desiring  relief  in  any 
one  year,  who  had  heeii  here  three  years,  there  would  he  per- 
haps" 31  Kit). 

Suppose  these  wholly  the  care  of  tlie  State.  It  could  ar- 
range for  the  cheap  care  of  those  sick  amonu  them  much  more 
economically  than  the  towns  to  whose  e.Npeiises  it  now  con- 
trihiites.  For  those  near  |jo>ton,  it  has  already  the  buildings 
which  would  he  needed  at  Raiiisford  Island. 

Such  an  ariangeineut  for  ;]ll(M)  persons,  would  cost,  at  the 
rates  lor  which  the  Aew  YorU  commissioners  succeed  m  dis- 
charging similar  duty,  .$!i;;i,31l)  annually,  and  v/ith  little  or  no 
expense  ill  the  preparation  of  l)uildiii<js. 

The  Hospital  at  Kainslord  Island  should  he  fitted  for  tlie 
accommodation  of  the  sick  in  the  iKMahborliood  of  I'oston. 
Iiiexj)eiisive  hiiildings  like  those  till  recentiv  in  n-'^e  at  Deer 
Island,  and  still  used  at  Ward's  Island,  New  York,  would 
answer  all  ai'duional  purposes.  Two  other  hospital  t^stahlish- 
ments  in  other  parts  of  the  State,  with  arrangements  for  the 
care  of  children,  and  other  persons  not  able  to  labor,  would 
complete  the  necessary  arrangements. 


I 


1 


1        1 


n 


4f) 

Alfowiiitj;    lliut  the  rxtni  expenses    of  ;i  beL'imiiiiir,  would 
hiiiii:  till'  aiiiiiiiiit   of  ilie  lirst   year's  exiieiise  to  n  eliarize  nl' 
S.'ilMliKI  ii|i(iii   ihr  Slate  Treasuiw  lieie  would  lie  an  (ennnni\ 
al  oni'e  to  lli.U  TreaMnv.  iVoin  the  e\i)en>es  ol    l>."i(l,  ot   skJ,- 

Annllier  advantage  would  he,  that  the  Stale  lonid  arraiiLii! 
for  I'orwardiii::  new  eonit  rs  to  di.stani  liomes,  or  sendiiii;  llieni 
li.u'k  to  their  old  lioiuvs  when  necessary  ;  measines  which  the 
towns  eaiiiiot  tak'e. 

'I'he  Slate  eoiiM  also  colU'Ct  all  lorfeils  due  on  lioiids.  vliieh 
in  iiiaiiy  eases  now.  are  lel"t  nneollecieil,  the  town  anihorities 
not  kiiowiin;  they  are  due.  AlmIii.  the  .-euiiiiiL'  nt  these  |ioor 
|)co|ile  ahoiit  iiinieeessariK',  would  he  wholly  at  an  end. 

So  iniicli  lor  the  relict"  to  the  Stale's  'rreasniy.  There 
would  he  this  lehel'  to  its  eoiiscicnce.  that,  when  lakiliir  two 
dollars  rroni  ea(di  ol  llu'se  poor  people  on  his  ani>al.  its  prom- 
ise to  lake  care  ul'  him  in  need  would  mean  somelhiui,'  deli- 
nili\ 

It  will  he  nnderstood  of  course,  that  this  measnrc  does  not 
relievo  a  ]ierson  iiot  now  relieved,  of  neeessiiy.  under  onr 
cinnhrons  and  coiuplieatcd  system.  It  only  simplilies  the  re- 
spousd)ility. 

'ruiniiii,'  to  the  town  tri'asiuies  and  consciences,  it  will  be 
observed  :  — 

That  there  will  be  an  end  of  introihiction  of  |)anpers  from 
tlie  rest  of  .Now  Mncdaud  greater  than  is  met  by  then"  out- 
going! from  IMassaclinsetts  : 

That  traveliiiiT  expt>iises  within  tlio  State  is  saved: 

That  the  accounts  will  he  greatly  simpiilied  : 

That  no  persons  need  he  sup[H)itcd  in  the  l\)or  Houses  but 
those  well  known  in  iIk;  towns: 

'I'iiat  there  is  an  end  to  the  present  temptation  to  keep  fnr- 
ciii'ii  /t'l/z/H/s  idle,  so  that  the  towns  may  draw,  for  them,  on 
the  Slate    I'reasiiry.* 

Willi  all  these  saviiiiis  eU'ected  to  the  towns,  it  cannot  be 
doiihted  tl'.at  their  chartres  f.>r  the  paupers  not  inider  the  care 
ot  tlie  Slate  would  he  lessened  also,  from  those  tliey  now  bear. 

The  State  would  know  what  it  was  doing.  The  towns 
would  know  what  they  were  doing. 

Under  the  present  inaction  of  the  Fed<'ral  (jovernment  in 
this  matter.  I  do  not  see  but  it  would  siiil  ho  necessary  to  send 
to  .New  'S'ork  or  other  Siaies,  paupers  who  have  tirrived  there 
and  paid  their  head-money  there,  and  to  receive  from  them 


*A  l(iwi)  ill  tl]p  wpstoi'ii  piirt  of  till'  Sl:ite,  s^imic  y.'nrs  siiico,  futfritod  its  clMiin  lor 
tweiity-livo  (lolliir'<  I'roiii  tin;  StMto  tri'.i-ury.  for  Mipiiurt  of  lui  old  woman,  lirciui^o  it 
u'lis  proved  she  could  ruck  a  cradle  !  Tliu  dfci.sion  was  drmbiless  correct  undertliu  law. 


■Mwi 


iiiiiiiir,  wonlil 
'  nil  ( ('(itininiv 

\>r,{),  (it  .s-);j,. 

lonlil  ;irr;iiii;(! 
MMldlllli  tliciu 

res  winch  tlio 

liomls,  v'liirh 
,•11  ;iiiilioritii's 
ol  these  [loor 
ill  eiul. 

Miiy-  Tliere 
11  l;il<iiii,'  two 
v;il.  lis  iiroiii- 
lueliiiiiij;  (leli- 

sure  does  not 
y,  under  our 
pi  dies  iIk*  Fe- 
ces, it  will  l)c 

paupers  from 
by  tiieir  out- 

vvd  : 

ir  Houses  hut 

to  keep  for- 
lor  ilieiii,  oil 

it  cannot  he 

iider  the  care 

loy  now  hear. 

The  towns 

overrinieiit  in 
'ssary  to  («end 
arrived  ihere 
e  I'roiu  llieiii 

I'liti'il  ii,<  cliiitii  for 
ivoiiiiui,  hcciiii^c  it 
•t'ct  under  the  law. 


47 

tiiose  arrivins  here  wlinm  they  choose  to  seinh  It  is  true  thr.t 
lliis  is  an  enhnjietueiit  of  the  wretched  '•  shoiilderiiii,' "  svs- 
ti'iii.  Ihll  il  ciiiiiiol  he  helpeij.  while  Congress  takes  no  iiolice 
()!'  die  lacl  ihat  IJDllJKII)  men  and  women  arrive  lieie  annually 
t'roiii  heyoiid  seas. 

Possibly  between  iar^'e  importiii;,'  ^Jcites,  as  ,\ew  York'  and 
.^hissaehuseiis,  informal  ai:reeiiiei..s  niiiilit  lie  made,  to  cx- 
(•haiit,'e  eliari;es  au'aiiist  each  oilier;  we  wonld  reliini  a  Iniii- 
died  of  their  peoph;  against  e.ieh  hiiiidred  of  ours  whom  they 
could  show  us  that  lliey  were  caiinu;  for. 


No.   VITl, 


Tin;  i'i:i)i;iiAi,  (jomikn.mdnt  on  i:Mi(iUATio.\.     co.Nd.i-.MON. 

In  pursuing;  the.  iiKpiiry,  wliich  in  this  letter  I  chiso,  I  began 
Willi  (he  action  of  foreign  novernineiits  in  promoting  einigra" 
tion  ;  I  spiike  next  ot'  the  emigrant's  ell'orts  for  liimself;  next 
of  what  IS  done  for  liini  by  private  persons  and  societies  here, 
and  by  the  ("iiy  and  Slate  gi)verniiienls,  separately.  In  any 
other  tialion  than  ours,  it  would  have  seemed  uainral  to  asic 
first,  what  view  the  iS'aiional  (jlovernment  took  of  this  annual 
invasion  of  liiree  or  four  lunidri'd  thousand  souls;  and  to  have 
bcLiuii  by  enumerating  the  inducements  ollered  by  it  to  emi- 
izranis,  llie  information  it  extends  to  them;  its  oversii'ht  of 
their  movement,  and  its  cart>  ot  their  sick  and  ignorant. 

It  liai)pc!iis.  iiowever,  that  by  an  exaggeration  of  the  let-alone 
system,  really  lamentable  in  its  consequences,  the  iN'alional 
(Joverumcut,  having  arranged  even  its  naturalization  laws 
wiih  dillieully.  lias  passed  by,  almost  entirely,  all  other  con- 
siderations in  this  in;iiler. 

There  is  an  auniial  return  made  by  the  Department  of  State 
at  Washiiiiitou  of  the  number  of  males  and  Icmales  who  have 
arrived  in  the  United  States  from  diHeient  coiiuiries,  in  the 
year  einhng  on  the  30tli  of  September.  Of  the  defects  of  this 
ret  urn  I  spoke  in  my  letter  No.  ill.  Defective  as  its  plan,  its 
execution  has  never  come  up  even  to  that. 

The  Supr(>me  (Jourt  of  the  United  States,  Feb   7,  IS  19,  de- 
cided ilie  emigration  laws  then  existing,  of  ilie  Northern  Slates 
to   be   unconstitutional.*      The  (Jovernmcnt    thus  I'orced  on 

*  ri-oiu  this  (ii'cision  liie  Clii(,'f  Justice,  aiul  Judfri's  Daniel!,  N'ttison  iiml  Woodbury 
dissented.  I  have  heard  it  said  hv  Rentlemen  whose  opinion  Ijas  authoiiiy,  that  tho 
weidit  ol"  the  court  was  on  one  side,  though  the  majority  was  on  the  other. 


.It 


m 


48 


.-,1 

iiii 


I 


lliosc  Stntos  till'  riniiiil-aliniu  \v;iy  in  wliicli  tliry  now  collect 
tlifir  fiiiiaralioii  rcvcnm'.  ;is  dcscnlicd  iii  my  U'ticr  No.  l\. 

'I'ht'.sf  two  cllorls  of  iht'  .Natioiiiil  (iovciiiiiiciit  ami  tlic  law 
ri"jnl;iiiii'_'  s\\\\<s  lor  passa-jc  aic,  Willi  (lie  pailial  exception  ot' 
till'  old  h aturalr/.alioii  laws,  the  i>lily  liolicc  it  lias  taixcil  ol  the 
lad  llial  a  world  of  cuiiuraiils  is  laiidiiiL'  in  America,  wliose 

I ihi-rs    an;    now  nearly    lllil,Ulti)    a  ycir.     'i'licy  show    tlio 

only  provision  it  malios  lor  tlieir  comt'ort  on  arnval,  or  lor  lor- 
waiiliiii:  llieiii  to  its  (li.staiit  \\C>leni  lands,  wliu  li  Uicy  aic  to 
occujiy  and  make  vahialilc. 

An  eir)rt  niidc  in  is.')!*,  to  £;ive  iVoin  the  national  domain 
some  support  to  tlic  lunatic  asylums  of  llie  Slates  which  are 
now  ovei  ilowiiii,',  I'rotn  the  iiece>sity  of  carina:  lor  loreiuners 
who  arc  insane. — was  lost.  It  owed  its  death  to  the  iieuli- 
L'enco  of  New  Iliigland  ineiiihi  rs,  wlios*!  States  are  iremeii- 
doiisly  1 1.\(  (I  for  the  want  of  such  a  provision. 

In  iact"  ot'  this  siniiiilar  inaiMion  of  ("onures.s  wt-  have  the 
fact,  that  the  .Naiio.  '  (ioviTiimenl  only,  inidcr  the  riiliiiL!;  (tf 
its  own  courts,  lias  the  rinht  to  collect  a  revenue  from  the 
arrival  of  passiMiL'crs.  For  the  revein1e;<  received  liy  the.'^tales 
are  co//////^//-/'/// ;»//'(/ hy  shiii-owners,  who  wish  lliu.s  to  avoid 
inconvenient  ohli nations. 

And.  yet  auaiii.  no  one  can  fail  to  ohserve  tlie  fact  to  which 
1  have  alluded,  that  to  the  ready  transfer  of  llie  cmiL'rani  jiop- 
tilation  to  the  West,  the  (Jovernmeiit  owes  all  the  worili  of  its 
Wesleni  lands, 

\vi  It  will  he  as  readily  sccmi,  that  the  ureal  advaiitai^o 
whii'li  is,  nndoiihtcdly,  dt!riv(!d  to  the  conntvy  Irotn  this  ureal 
emi'jralioii,  is  an  advantaL'c  very  nneipially  distrihnted.  The 
W Cslerii  States  gain  the  cream  of  it.  Men  and  women  who 
are  ahle-hodied  and  have  ])ropi'rty,  co  tliither  at  once,  and 
.seitlc.  The  "  lame,  hiind,  deaf,  idiotic  and  Iniialic."  as  oiir 
statutes  descriho  them,  are  slriiiiied  oif  hy  the.  Ilastern  States, 
and  reiiiain  to  till  up  our  alms-hoiises  and  hospitals. 

In  the  last  paper  (d'  this  series,  wi;  have  seen,  how,  under 
pre^tMit  arraimeineiits,  New  York  will  send  to  Philadelphia 
foreign  paupers  "  hcloiiiiing"  there, — that  is,  who  have  paid 
licad  money  there;  at  ilie  very  moment  whih;  Philadelphia 
si  lids  to  .New  ^'ork  those  who  '•  i.iclong"'  there.  They  pass 
each  oilier  on  the  way.  And,  in  this  extravai:ant  system, 
notliiiiu;  is  to  prevent  siiidi  constant  waste  hy  traveling  to  and 
Iro,  hill  ddliciilt  informal  negotiations  hetween  Slate  ollicers, 
or  some  action  (jf  the  IN'ational  (jiovernment. 

As  things  are,  if  an  Irishman  who  had  landed  in  Hoston 
should  lose  an  arm  in  l'itlst)mg,  and  become  dependent  on  the 
I'eimsylvaniu  authorities,  they  would,  in  all  probahilily,  send 
him  along,  from  step  to  step; — ditlerent  local  boards  preferring 


ill. 

■:l: 


4!) 


imw  t'olli'i't 
r  N.).  IV. 
iiiiii  tlic  law 
(■XCi'|itinil    dt 

takfii  o\  llif 
it-rica,  wliiisi: 

•y    .vllDW     till! 

;il,  or  lor  I'or- 
1  lli.-y  aio  to 

oiial  (loiiiaiii 
•s  whicli  art^ 
or  loriMuiit-rs 
to  the  iit'uli- 
i  ;>.rt.!   irciiifii- 

wt!  have  the 
tho  niUiiii  <»1' 
luo  from  tht'. 
hy  till!  Stales 
thus   to  avoid 

fiict  to  which 
iMui'_Maiit  1">1>- 
u  wonh  ol    Its 

It,  iidvaiita^o 
Din  tins  ureal 
rihnt<(l.    'The 

woiiieu  who 
at  oiu'e,  and 
lalic,"  as  our 
'i;\>terii  Slates, 
als. 
how,  under 
l>hdadel|.hia 
'lio  have  paid 

Pliil;uh'l|>liia 
Tiiey  pass 
;iL'anl  sysleiii, 
.vehiiij;  to  and 

State  oliicers, 

led  in  Boston 
lendent  on  the. 
)l)ahdity,  send 
irds  preferring 


to  i^ive  liiiii  a  railroad  ticket  than  lo  keo|i  liim  on  then-  hands, 
(ill  alter  loim  snirerin<r,  he  arrived  in  Morton,  where  he  "  he- 
loiiiffd."  He  iniulit  prolialily  enonLdi  niecl  and  piss  on  the 
way,  a  eoiniirynian  who  hail  landrd  in  lialiiuior<-,  and  was 
hnii'^'  passi^d  aloui,'  in  hke  fashion  to  that  eiiv  lioni  lln'  Nniih. 
I  have  seen  this  (lone  in  Philadelphia,  and  the  aiiihiu  iiics  o| 
that  eiiy  and  of  Malmnore  make  no  si'crel  of  it.  They  ri'L'ard 
the  emigrant,  as  wn  have  seen,  ns  a  chir^e  on  tho  plaeo  where 
he  lands, — and  if  any  Ihinsjeaii  he  saved  hy  the  process,  tlicy 
.send  him  on  his  way  thilher. 

So  reckless  a  waste  and  inhnmanity  as  this  will  eontinne, 
nntil  \\\o.  National  (Jovcrnment  itself  (!ollecis  the  revenne  from 
ihesn  arrivals,  and  itself  applies  it  to  their  henelit. 

Thti  casus  of  hmaiics  seem  as  hard  iij)!)!!  the  States  which 
have  taken  any  pains  to  support  them.  Let  iheiii  serve  here 
as  jlhistratioiis  of  the  whole  allair. 

.Massachnsetts  was  the  first  i^overinnent  in  the  world  to 
establish  at  the  pnhlic  c.Kpeiiso  lunatic  asylnms,  for  the  wrlj 
ordered  relii  f  of  the  insane,  whether  rich  or  poor.  She  has 
earned  some  credit  for  doiiiL'  so  Would  it  li.ive  hern  supposed 
thai  the  doiin.;  so  was  simply  a  bounty  for  tho  empire  ol  (jreai 
liritaii),  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  new  Stales  o(  the  American 
Ihiion  on  the  other,  to  hnrdeii  the  Stale  of  Massachusetts  with 
the  full  charge  of  the  Irish  men  and  women,  who  Iiav<!  heeomc! 
insane  in  thai  empire — or  in  the  excit(  incnt  of  movement  to 
those  Slates  ?  Is  it  fair  that  the  thing  shoii  d  he  li'ft  so  .'  lieft 
so  it  is.  So  'hat  at  this  momenl  we  are  erectiiii:  a  new  lunatic 
asylum,  heoa;.so  our  present  one  is  overcrowdcMl  with  more 
than  two  linndred  lunatics  of  foreign  hirtli,  who  have  no  siip- 
])ort  but  that  of  the  Stale's  treasury;  whom  (Jreal  Britain  has 
sent  away, — ofieii  at  the  public's  cxpen.-^e, — and  hy  whose 
relativ«!s  and  countrymen  the  new  States  are  lirowmg  richer 
every  hour.  The  public  cliarL'e  of  iMas.sachnse  ts  lor  siudi 
persons  is  larger  I  think,  than  that  of  any  State  in  the  Union, 
iNew  York  not  excepted. 

This  is  hill  an  illustration  of  the  proportion  which  thi.s  State 
is  hearing  of  every  charitable  charge  of  this  kind.  It  is.  I 
know,  the  hardest  illustration  ;  hiit  of  the  ,sl')(  10,(11  It)  which  this 
state  pays  in  one  form  or  anodier  of  public  tax  for  (he  relief  of 
the  poor,  the  history  of  a  great  deal  is  the  same.  The  l>ill  for 
liiinaiic  Asvlmns,  lost  last  year  in  (,■  iii^ress.  as  I  said,  in  con- 
seijneiice  of  New  laiLiland  inat(en(ioii,  would  have  helped  that 
out!  inalter.  IJiil  a  general  system  only  will  treat  the  emi- 
grant humanely  and  the  several  States  fairly. 

It  is  the  interest  of  every  section  of  the  coimtry  to  see  that 

7 


ilt' 


50 


h  h 


till'  .Natidiial  (iovcililiM'iil  docs  liikc   llir    wliolr    caic,    and    the 
liuiiiaiK'  I'ait'  of  newly  aiiivi'd  rniiLiiants  ihId  ;In  hands. 

'rii''  \\  fst  is  Milcri  sled,  liican'-i'  llius  mdy  can  a  system  l/i- 
orjaiii/.cd  lor  the  hcticr  tianslcr  tinllicr  di'  i|i;ii  jaiinr  \vlii<  li  is 
adnii:  in  liic  Atlaiilic  cjiirs.  .No  W  c.-.tirn  !:cntli  man,  well 
int'oiini'd.  tails  to  say  lliat  tin  y  can  employ  evt'iy  man  and 
u'cMiaii.  ill  Ik  allli.  wiio  can  i:ei  tiieie. 

'I'lu-  sea-lHiaiil  Slates  aie  iillelested.  lieeanse  liiiis  the  iiailpiT 
and  linspilal  (>x|ieiises  uhadi  Tail  so  lieavily  on  tlieiii.  coiilil  he 
h  ine'  I'V  a  'joveinmeiii  uhicli  would  havi'  |i(i\ver  to  colleet  u 
ca|iitaiioii  t;ix  on  arrivals  laiue  enough  lo  meet  them.  Ileail 
money  at  the  rate  ol'  three  (h)nars  a  pas.seii^er  would  amply 
lliei't  till-  (\|ienses  ol"  a  series  ol  hospitals  lor  the  sick,  and 
odier  iiecessiiies  (d' emiuranls  not  yet  fairly  esiahlisiied, 

lliiiiiaiiiiy.  I  need  not  say,  dem.inds  some  snidi  ariaiiuem'  nt 
ill  lien  ol'  the  com  plica  I  (  d  iiiterlert'iiccs  Ik  t  werii  State  and  Sl;'te, 
and  town  and  town,  whiidi  now  compel  relieving  (dlieers  to 
rei'ard  the  loreiun  pauper  as  a  pest,  and  i;o  so  I'ar  to  didiar  him 
I'rom  the  sympathy  wIik  h  in  .ill  other  ea.M's  misrorlniii!  and 
poverty  commaiid. 

The  case  is  illustrated,  hy  th<;  care,  which,  in  tad.  the  .Na- 
tional ( ioveniment  takes  tor  seamen.  The  duty  is  just  llial 
which  it  owes  to  ilie  emiuraiits  who  are  not  yet  domiciliated. 
Ill  l!ie  case  of  seamen  it  undertakes  to  ilischarL'e  it. 

'V\\o  seaman  s  lahors  henetit  the  whole  country.  It  is.  how- 
ever, impossible  that  lie  shall  be  beyond  the  need  of  occasional 
rcliri',  in  s.ckncss  or  misloriune.  The  goveinmeiit.  iherel'ore, 
takes  a  liaclion  of  his  wa^^res  to  e.^tahlish  the  I'nnds  which  shall 
support  hospitals  for  his  sickness  and  other  provisions  lor  his 
decline. 

So  the  I  niicrrant  l)en  ■li's  the  whole  country.  It  is,  however, 
impossihli;  that  he  shall  be  Ijcyoud  the  need  of  occasional 
relief  in  sickness  or  nnsfoitniK'.  As  impossible  is  it  that  any 
small  ooimuiinity  where  he  siill'ers  shall  be  expected  to  hear 
his  eliar^M's,  when  all  tiic  lieneljts  of  enu^ration  are  reaped  by 
some  far-distant  reL'ion.  It  i.s  for  the  government  of  the  nation 
to  take,  a  tritle  from  him  in  his  prosjierily  with  which  to  sup- 
port hospitals  lor  his  sieknc-jy  and  other  jirovisioiis  for  his 
decline. 

Hut  with  this  gener.il  statc'nient  of  tin;  duty  of  the  nalional 
^overiimenl,  I  leave  the  only  solution  which  is  to  be  oll'ered  of 
the  probliMu,  '•  I  low  can  government  provide  with  system  and 
humanity,  for  the  emigrant  .' '"  1  know  that  tliis  is  no  j)lace  to 
enter  into  details  with  reyard  to  action,  lor  which  there  is  no 
iininedialo  prospect. 


lie,   ami    llic 

lands. 

a  s\>t''lii   \ii'. 

Iinr   wliuli  1^ 

III  man.    uill 

ry   iiKMi   aini 

IS  llic  paiiiii'i" 
cm.  coiilii  lie 

to    Cllllt  cI     ii 
licm.        ilrliil 

,'iiiiM  atiiply 
111'  McU,  ami 
islicd. 

ai'iam:<Mii<  iil 
itc  ami  Sl'Mc, 
li;  tillii'd's  Id 
lo  (li'liar  liim 
sliirtiiiM!  ami 

lad.  till!    Na- 
is  jii.st   lliat 
domiciliated, 
it. 

.  It  is.  lii)\v- 
ol  occa.siiiiial 
■lit.  tiiciclnic, 
s  winch  .slial! 
i^ioiis  lor  his 

t  is,  however, 
(it  ()c<'asioiial 
s  it  that  any 
I'Ctcd  lo  hear 
lie  leaped  hy 
of  the  nation 
'liich  to  siip- 
>ions  lor  iiis 

'  the  iiaiional 
!  he  ollered  of 
h  sy>lcni  and 
is  no  place  to 
cli  ihcro  is  no 


51 

I  invi;  iiitciitiomiily  p;u->ed  over  to  this  point  im»i<!  than  a 
sii!-'i,'"Nlioii  ol'  the  ureal  value  uf  ijie  emiLfralioii  of  wlii(di  I  have 

I n  arraiiLjiiiu  these  .st;ilis|ics.      I  c;iiiiiol  properly  einhody  the 

results  ol  tlieiii.  or  ol  these  impiines,  without  siatinir  more 
liillv  what  i.s  the  iiatiiie  ami  the  iinmeiisity  of  the  i^ill  wlindi 
<  iod  has  thus  iii.uh'  to  this  nation. 

i\s  to  its  n.itlire,  thiue  needs  here  lo  Ijc  said  oiilv  this.  ijiat 
the  Irish  enii'.,Matioii.  as  we  see  it,  —  the  ( 'cjijc  II  xi  id  lis,  as  it  has 
heeii  called. — siieiiis  as  cl'iirly  lo  heldULt  to  the  esmhli-iicd, 
iiniiitcrriipted  loitiim'  ol'  the  ( 'elite  race,  as  il'  it  had  heen  the 
iiiiiiiediate  result  of  Ii;iitle  ami  hloody  dejeai.  Il  will  he  re- 
uieinhered  that  within  the  scope  of  written  historV;  this  Ccllie 
race, — speakim,'  a  langiiaye  ol'  kin  lo  its  laii^miL'e  of  today. 
iiiarlied  with  iIm!  samo  sii^iis  of  phy.Mcal  eonrormalioii.  -held, 
without  intermixture  of  I'oreigii  races,  all  Western  lliirope, 
iiicliidiin'  parts  even  of  Italy.  Since  that  |)eri(n|  of  wide  e.\- 
teiii,  its  fortunes  are  dark  in  jiarts;  but  this  niiieli  iy  clear, 
that  the  elans  which  composed  it  have  heen  |ierpeliially  divided 
ainoiii;  ihemselves,  and  in  contest  a^ain.st  (iolhic  or  olhi'r  waves 
ol  population,  pressini;  upon  ihein  from  the  Mast,  that  they 
have  constantly  lost  tj;roiind.  Whether  it  is  del'eat  by  <'amillns 
or  by  Ciesar,  or  by  the  ( )stroij;olhs  or  the  Danes,  or  the  Saxons 
or  (Jromwell,  liei'i-aL  is  their  history,  not,  of  course,  in  every 
battle,  hut  eertainly  in  the  rxperiiMice  of  each  siiiyh;  izeiiera- 
tion.  Such  defeats  have  driven  them  further  and  I'lirther 
westward,  and  have  absorbi-d  in<M'e  ami  more  ol'  their  race, 
either  to  enrich  the  battle-lields,  or  to  serve  as  the  slaves  or 
as  the  wives  of  the  coiniiieriirs, — until  the  last  two  cijiitiiries 
have  seen  it  pure  oiilv  ni  its  western  i'asliiesses.  'riiroiiuh 
those  eeiitnriiis  it  has  stood  at  bay  on  tlu;  headlands  of  westcni 
I'lui^laiiJ  and  France,  and,  i  suppose,  Spain  :  il  has  had  lull 
iiiliabitaiiey,  though  not  the  uovcrnmeui,  of  most  of  Ireland 
and  iiorlhern  Scotlaml.  Thosi!  poiilts  of  the  wnrld  are  to  I'c 
looke'il  upon  just  like  the  "  Indian  Leap,''  or  the  .Mount  Kiiiiico 
(/f  our  own  leLTcnds ;  they  ar(!  the  hist,  rcsiui;^"-iilaces  v.'heie  n 
ijrcat  gallant  race  has  been  driven  in  by  its  comiiierors,  heioro 
their  last  destructive  attack  upon  it. 

This  last  attack  the  comiuerors  liav(^  now  made  ; — not  inlen- 
lionally,  but  because  they  did  not  knov/  how  lo  resist  their 
destiny;  not  as  Cromwell  destroyed  the  Irish  at  l)roi,dieda,  or 
as  L'arsar  attacked  the  Treviri,  but  in  the  more  destructive, 
thoiiyh  more  kimlly  meant,  invasion,  of  modern  systems  of 
ai^'rieiiltiire,  manufactures  and  commerce.  'I'lie  imtauiiht  and 
wretched  Irish  (^'elt,  of  the  pure  blood,  could  no  more  staml 
the  competnion  of  the  wadl-compacted  English  social  L^yslenl 
than  could  his  progeniiors  or  their  kinsmen  stand  the  close- 


!r' 


k 


Ivf 


knit  discipline  of  (Jav-^ur's  lei^ious.  In  tlie  rdort  to  stand  itj 
lioi>r  livlaiid  counts  her  millions  of  slain.  They  Ii;ive  died  of 
d.'aihs  Ml  nc  tcniiil!"  than  faille,  and  the  it  .si.  roiiscions  ol 
tiii'ir  la-t  (K'lVit,  have  noniiii'4  f'fi  for  it  but  to  tli'i;  lartlicr  y<M 
\\'i\s' w.ikI.  ami  leave  their  old  lioiiics  to  this  iiiva.sion  wliieli 

will    lliit    (Mid. 

I5iit  this  westward  fariim  is  now  a  ])liinae  into  the  sea. 
And.  at  just  the  needed  iiioiiHMit,  Providence  sends  the  needed 
means  to  relieve  it.  For,  till  times  iiniie  recent,  till  the  larue 
slii|)iiien's.  that  is.  of  cotton  eastward  from  tins  country,  ilie 
lir^e  shijimeiits  of  men  and  women  westward  would  have 
been  impossible  at  the  cheap  rates  which,  oiilv,  have  made 
tlieni  any  relief  to  lieland.  As  it  is  they  are  the  only  relict 
alter  this  lust  striiiialo  of  liers.  Tlie  beaieii  Cells  pass  west- 
ward again.  'I'he  American  empty  cotton  ships  arc  lying 
ready  to  pick  up  llie  defeated  stragglers.  Htit  it  is  no  loiiL-er  an 
eimmMtion  in  mass;  this  time  it  lias  no  chief,  like  those  of 
wliieli  (^esar  tells  ns:  it  has  no  discipline;  it  is  only  a  horde 
of  discouraged,  starved,  beaten  men  and  women.  'I'liere  is  no 
eiii|)iy  country  for  them  to  pour  in  upon;  they  sail  in  Saxon 
vessels  to  Saxon  shores,  for  tlie(ioiliie  or  (iermanic  tide  of  hie 
lias  got  before  them.  They  must,  as  beaten  men,  setdt  its 
li')spitalities.  It  drives  them  from  the  llast,  it  receives  ihem  at 
the  West,  and  llieir  separate  existence  as  a  Celtic  race  is  at 
an  end. 

The  Irish  emisratioii,  then,  is  tlie  dispersion,  after  its  last 
defeat,  of  a  creat  race  of  men,  which,  in  one  way  (U'  another, 
has  been  undergoing  defeat  for  centuries.  In  the  older  of  liis- 
tory  it  is  our  tinly  to  receive  the  scatlereil  fii^nives,  give  them 
welcome,  absorb  theiu  into  our  own  society,  and  make  of  them 
what  we  can.  This  point  of  view  suggests  the  whole  spirit  in 
which  in  these  letters  I  speak  of  ilietn.  Tliey  are  luLMiives  from 
defeat,  or,  without  a  metaphor,  fnyitives  from  slavery,  livery 
Irishman  who  leaves  Ireland  for  America  seems  to  Ik;  as  really 
driven  iheiK^e,  by  the  inteniional  or  uiniiieuiional  arrniine- 
lut'iits  of  strouirer  iianoiis,  as  if  he  had  made  a  siaiid  in  iiaht 
on  the  biMcli  at  (iaiway,  and  iieeii  flriven  by  cliarued  bayonets 
into  the  sea.  We  are.  or  oii^'ht  to  be.  welromiuLj  tbe.ve  last 
wrecks  of  so  many  centuries  of  retreat.  And  if  I  speak  bitterly 
ol'  the  uiti'r  inattentioii  in  which  our  government  leaves  this 
duly, — of  the  com[)lete  want  of  svsteiu  of  our  Slate  Legisla- 
ture, and  its  complete  reclclcssiiess  of  tin;  fart  that  tliise  iiiidis- 
eiphui'd  stiau'glers  are  takiii','  refuLM>  here, —it  will  be  becaiiM' 
tli'Me  Ks  a  shameless  iiicoiisistencv  in  such  iiidill'ereiici;.  Ileic 
in  Massachiisetis  we  wriilie  and  struiiuh;,  really  with  oik 
heart,  lest  wo  return   one  fugitive  who  can  jiossibly  be  savctl 


I 


53 


slatid  it) 
i'(>  (lied  (if 
iscioiis  ol 
uiIht  yet 
on  wliirli 

the  sea. 
ic  iieedeil 

the  larL'e 
uitry.  ilit^^ 

lid  have 
ive  made 
inly  relief 
lass  wesl- 
aic   lying 

Ionizer  an 

I  tlidse    of 

y  a  horde 

here  is  no 

ill  Saxoii 
tide  of  hfe 
1,  seek  Its 
(S  them  at 
race  is  at 

er  its  last 
r  another, 
der  of  his- 

give  them 
l\e  of  ihi'iu 
lie  spirit  111 
iiivcs  iVom 
y.  Ilvry 
e  as  rt'ally 
1  arraiiL'e- 
iid  III  iiijht 
1  hayoiii'ts 

tlii'se  last 
;ik  hitlerly 
caves  this 
lo  l,ei!;isla- 
lesc  imdis- 

hc  llCCMUM' 
ll'O.       Ill'li' 

with    oiH 
Y  be  savcil 


to  Sonthorti  slavery ;  but  wiieii  there;  coiik;  these  ('iigitivi^s  iVom 
"  Irish  Masiilhvs,"  as  they  eall  them,  we  tax  them  lirst  and 
ne.'lci'i  ill, Mil  afierwiirds.  and  jirovule  hy  statiii(>,  and  take  care, 
ill  I  let,  to  send  i)ack  to  Ireland  at  iln!  [Hililie  expense,  |ioor 
ereatiu'i's  who  are  as  entirely  fiimiives  from  a  griiidiiin;  slavery 
as  if  their  lli^lil  had  heen  north  iiisleail  of  west  ; — fiiiiitives. 
indeed,  who  eomc  in  obedienet;  to  an  uiirhaiiuiiig  law  of 
human  movement,  which  we  eaii  no  more  sweep  hack  than 
eoiild  .Airs.  I'artimrloii  sweep  haelc  the  sea. 

So  much  lor  the  luimaiiity  of  our  svstein.  Its  iii'.poliey 
is  as  glarinu;.  If  this  view  of  the  |)iire  ( 'ellie  r;'ee  is  curreei, 
it  is.  at  this  moment,  useless  m  the  world,  exeepi,  as  Mr. 
Iliiierson  has  said,  tor  the  miaiio  that  is  in  it.  There  its  value 
eannol  he  eoniiu  d.  Miit  for  his  aelivo  purposes  the  Alnii::lily 
has  done  with  it.  What  it  may  have  heen  in  ilio  p;!si  lie 
knows,  or  what  unseen  good  it  has  sonulit  lie  knows.  We  can 
only  measure  it  by  the  lower  standard  of  visililt;  exlernal  siuv 
ress.  And  tiered  wo  can  see  this, — that  in  the  epoclis  of  wriiteu 
history,  the  pure  race  has  done  nothing  [lositive  for  mankind, 
ami  been  iioilim^  hut  a  monnmeiit  of  failure.  I  eannol  rec^all 
any  master-work  ol  art,  ol  seieiice,  of  polities,  ot'  reliLMon,  or  of 
letiers  which  the  world  owes  to  it.  Sm  h  me.xpheahle  nseless- 
iiesses  as  Sloncheiige  ;  sneli  histories  as  the  wretched  lends  of 
Irish  ('Ineftains:  sneh  hrilliaiieies  as  i\b)ore's  verses,  or  as  ihe 
iiiii'oiivinciiiu  and  iiielleciive!  eloquence  of  the  Iri.sli  liberals, 
are,  tlii;  iVaLiinents  which  it  leaves  behind  it, — a  race  wliieh,  in 
lis  pun;  blooil,  has  done  nothing.  It  has  proved  itself  excellent 
to  he  aliNorhed.  It  has  hium  of  the  greatest  value  as  a  race 
crossed  in  wiih  other  races,  l-jiiiiland  cliielly,  and  Kraiiee  in 
a  measure,  and  lialy  in  a  Itvss  deiiret\  show  what  eleinenls  of 
greatness  it  can  fnrnish  in  intermixtiiKi.     And  lliat  is  all. 

'I'liit  iiieijicieiicy  of  the  |)nre  Celiic  race  inrnislu's  tin; 
answer  to  the  ([iiesiion.      How  niiicli  use  are  tlii;  Irish  to  lis  in 

A lii'a.'     The   Native   American   answer  is,   ••none,  at  all.' 

And  llie  Native  .American  policy  is  to  keep  lliem  away. 

\  profound  mistake,  1  helieve,  for  tin'  precise  reason  that,  in 
tlie  jiiire  blood  they  are  so  iiiedicient  as  compared  with  the 
Sixon  and  oilier  (Jermanic  races  which  receive  them,  I  am 
willing  10  adopt  the  .Native  American  ]ioiiit  of  view,  and  to 
speak  with  an  rs/iril  (Itiror/Jti,  as  one  of  iho  race  invaded. 

if  this  were  a  superior  race,  a  race  of  superior  ability 
coming  in  on  ns,  we  miirht  well  complain.  If  I  were  a  .lap- 
aiie-e.  Willi  .lapaiies(!  r.sy;/ /'/ r/// co/yy.v,  I  should  liave  every  rea 


son  lo  keei)  no 


races   su 


the  J 


ipaiie.'-e 


policy 


am 


I  exclude,  as  lliev  do.  idl 


perun^   in  pr.ictical  ability,   from   eoininu    in 


'I'll 


won 


Id  ho  sure  to  riso  ubuve  me  and  mini;  anil  eriisli  us  down. 


V 


51 


;  ij 


'I'liU'^  tin-    iVci'    blacks    111    I'altimori',    (•(Hiiphim   very    natur- 
ally,  1)1"  tlic  (■iiiii:i'ation  tiiillicr  ol'    tlio   (  utiikiiis.     'I'Iio  (icr- 
iiiaiis    u'di  Ic    licltcr    ami   i'lii'a|M'r   tiiaii   the    liia<'l<s   can.    hiini:; 
into  C(iiii|)ititiiMi   lli(>  MipiTiiir  executive  I'aciiliy  ol'  llie    wliiK; 
rac<',   and   the  \)oar  blacks,   wliose    ability   is    in    ollii'i"    direc- 
tions,  arc  crowded  out,  and   have  to  yo  to  the  wall.      Now  if 
v.'e    Ainei-icaiis,    wiMi;    lik'ewisc    inlerior    in    ability    ol"    such 
sorts   to  the  Cells,   we   uiiijht  roiii|ilain   too.      I>iii    this   is  not 
true.      We  are   here,  well  oruani/ed,  and  well  trained,  masters 
ol'  the    .soil,    the.  very    race   heliire    which    they    have    yielded 
everywhere   he^ides.       It    niiist    be,    that    when    they  come    m 
amonu;  iis.  tliev  come   to   hit   iis   up.     As  sure  as  water  and 
oil   each  linds  its    level    they  will  lind    thiMrs.      So  far   as  they 
are   iiiiM'c   hand-workers  they  miisi  sustain  the  head-workers, 
or  tliosi^  who  have  any  eliMiient  of  inlellectnal  ability.     Their 
iiibu'ioritv  as  a  race  comp'ls  them   to  cio   to  the   hottom;   and 
the  conse(|ii(MiC(!   is    thai   we   are.  all    of  ns,  t!ie   hi;:her    lifted 
because  they  are  here. 

This  is  no  liLTiire  of  speech  :  it  is  the  exact  I'act  in  ali'airs. 
The  supposition  that  any  part  of  the  world  can  be  loo  much 
crowib'd.  is.  tluis  I'ar,  not  proved  bvanv  experience.  As  Mr. 
Welister  savs,  "there  ui  always  room  eiiouiih  iuuher  up.'' 
\\  hat  seem  crowded  countries,  are  reall v  only  eonnines  where 
t!ie  \\\\cs  of  promotion  are  not  well  arranged.  Take  this  spe- 
rilic  case  of  Cellic  Ireland  aiii]  .Massaciiiisi'lts  ;  the  couii'v  of 
( ia!  wav,  one  of  the  most  suli'eniiu  counties  of  Ireland,  has  not 
so  dense  a  population  as  we  have.  iiioiiL;h  voii  add  m  the  pop- 
iilaiion  of  the  citv  of  (ialway.  The  population  in  .Alassachii- 
sctis  is  l"ir  to  thi>  square  mile.  That  of  (ialway  city  and 
{'oiiiiiy  is  only  *.'l  to  tin*  s(piare  mile.  ilstimatuiLr  the  area  of 
the  ihrer  ("atliolic  provinces  at  2'i.')'.'A^  s(|uare  mia's.  the  aver- 
age population  of  the  ('(dlic  |iarts  of  Ireland  is  not  more  than 
!iil!l  lo  the  sijiiare  mile,  a  ratio  not  so  much  lariiiu"  as  to  be,  in 
iiself.  any  explanation  ol'  ureat  social  siili'i-riiiL'  there. 

It  i-;  clear  eiiouijh  liowev(U'.  that  there  must,  in  aiiv  c(Uiiinu- 
ni'y.  be  manual  labor.  Tiie  soil  is  to  i)e  tilled  and  the  roads 
built  and  repaired.  It'  it  has  ui'mc  than  m<  n  (Mioniih  for  this, 
some  can  be  released  to  hiijher  duties.  'I'Ik;  iinmlier  so  re- 
leased depends  on  the  (b-iriei!  of  its  civilization.  \-\)\-  m  niere- 
Iv  barbarous  coiiimunitics.  the  labor  of  a  t'amily  only  k<'e|)s 
tliat  one  family  alive.  'I'hen  there  is  no  surplus  for  higher 
occiipatinns.  in  civilizrd  comiinniities  one  iiaiid-workiiiLr  tam- 
ily  can  pnxhice  much  more  than  it  will  consiimr  of  the  neces- 
siiii's  ol'  life.  There  are  therelore,  in  proportion,  laborcus  re- 
leased lor  duties  of  a  hiulier  i;rade. 

This  IS  all  simple  and  of  course.  It  now,  into  the  ves- 
sel (d'  oil,  you  ])onr  water,  tJH!  water   tloats  the  oil  above    itself 


Do 


oil  its  siiilafo.  IC  into  tlio  civili/od  cominiiiiit^' niiidt;  ii|)  dI' 
Ii;iii(l-\V()rk('is,  ;uiil  woilo'is  in  IiiylitT  i^rades,  yoii  pour  in  an 
infnsion  of  a  pnpnlalion  coni|)et('iil  ai  lirsl  only  to  tint  .simplest 
iiainl-woric,  tlicy  tak''  tlH>.  lowest  |)lac(',  and  lilt  iIk;  ollieis  inlo 
hiylier  places.  'I'liey  do  \\h\  niainial  lal;or.  'I'liey  do  it  most 
olu'aply,  and  so  tliey  jeavi^  liiost^  whom  they  lind.  iVeo  to 
other  and  more  ai^reeahlo  walks  ol'  duty.  'I'lins,  practically, 
at    this   moment,  our  simplest  drn(Jyt:ry  ol'  iactory  work  aiwl 


It  dues  not  lol 


ol- 
I, 


J I -  • -1^  ■  » 

farm  work  comos  into  the,  hands  of  Irishmen,  .i  .■...  ^  m-i  h, 
low  that  tht^  natives  wIk^  nnist  otherwise  havo  perinrnu'd  i 
do  nolhini;  or  starve.  They  aru  simply  pnsheii  \i[),  into  fnrc 
men  of  factories,  snperint(Midcnts  of  farms,  railway  auenis, 
machinists,  invi>ntors,  teachers,  artists,  t*v:c. ;  flllini,'  classes  of 
society,  som(>  III'  whi(di  we.  conid  not  els(?  have  had  so  well; 
some  of  which  we  conId  not  have  had  at  all. 

I  say  they  do  not  starve;  for  ihere  is,  as  yet,  no  limit  to  tin; 
conntry's  |)ro(lnction  ;  and  hy  (n'ery  laliorini;  man  who  arrivis, 
the  danger  of  starvation  hecomes  less  and  less.  Nm*  is  there 
any  danirer  of  a  want  of  employment.  Ilinployment  nnderonr 
institntions,  is  not  a  lixed  (piaiitity;  which  cannot  heeidar^ed. 
Tliir  more  men  there  are,  the  more emidoyment  there  is;  in  oik; 
walk  or  anotlii>r. 

Ot'  eonise  {\\r.  rate  of  money  Avaiies  paid  does  not  all'ect  the 
Irans.ictimi ;  lor  the  jilethora  of  niannal  lai)or  will  keep  down 
the  ])rice  ol"  tl.o  \'ccssities  of  life,  so  that  the  money  rates  ol" 
wa::es  may  raoL;       ->  '.hey  clioos(\ 

The  simile  o  p  rainid  is  p(>r("iH:t  here,  1  b(;liev(!.  A  coin- 
mimity  is  a  py  ■  .  ;;  with  its  hase  of  manual  labor,  snpport- 
iiiij;  some  hi:;her  classes  of  elfort.  "I'lie  larger  the  pyramid  ; 
the  larger,  that  is,  the  population  of  the  commmnly,  the 
higher  the  position  of  the  ape.x.  I'utifnow,  yon  choose  to  e.\- 
cluihf  the  popidation  of  manual  laborers  whitdi  at  this  moment 
Ibrins  yonr  basis;  yon  cannot  keep  yonr  ;ipex  where  it  has 
been.  There  must  b(^  a  basis;  tli  )iii;h  it  is  not  necessary 
there  shonkl  be  so  Iiiuh  an  apex  as  there  has  been.  Mxcliide 
yonr  lore  imi  jxipnlation,  and  yonr  whole  fabric  sinks.  ^'(lU 
iiiid  yon  have  still  men  at  hard  and  loathsome  labor.  'I'liey 
are  now  yi>iir  own  sons.  Voii  have  lost  what  you  had;  the 
highest  rcsnltsof  yonr  civilization.  For  every  grade  desceud- 
etl  when  yon  niovetl  the  lowest  grade  awav. 

In  fact,  by  every  spade  blow  which  forelmi  hands  have 
driven,  by  every  chiki  which  foreiL:ii  inodiers  in  their  own 
homes  have  reared  to  this  country,  is  the  country  richer  for 
the  eonimg  of  the  ("oreigner.  I5y  the  worth  of  every  spade 
blow,  by  the  worth  of  every  child  would  the  conntrybe  poorer 
if  it  debarred   them  from   tliis  priril'jixc^  of  doing  its  meanest 


50 


1 1    n 


wovlc,  anil  ol'  tiikiiia  its  linnli'st  Aire,  and  yot,  as  that  work  is 
tli(>  only  work'  alisoliiicly  ni^oossnry.  lln^  only  work  wliidi  wci 
must  liavo;  as  ilieirs  is  llic  only  dniy  wliidi  we  cannot  do 
willioiii.  iiiio  ilicn'  |)laci's  nnisl  sink'  (loan  tlio>o  who  arc  now 
in  less  painliil  duly  :  and  \u\ni/iiir  |)lai'i's  wonid  conic  those 
w!io  are  ni  more  tlioniihil'id  dnty  yet.  'I'lic  whole  oiiraniza- 
tioii  ot'  onr  society  nnist  dt>scciid  :  the  whole  t'ahric  of  onr  civ- 
ilizition  h(!  dct>radt>d.  That  would  he  tiie  end  of  yonr  (piar- 
aMlnu\  of  your  hars  and  Ixills,  of  your  snccessfu!  restrii'tions. 
\'o!i  wonM  still  have  lahorers  on  tiic  rad-road.  and  canal,  and 
factory.  Tluxc  you  nnist  have!  Von  woidd  have  pressed 
into  thai  service  those  fit  tor  belter  thing's:  and  th(>  restriction 
yon  have  ni;ide  is  a  siirreiidtr  of  so  nnich  civilizaiioii.  so  iiincli 
wealth,  so  imicli  rclineini'iit.  Yoii  thoiiu'ht  these  iiirn  wre 
iLriiorant  ditchers  and  delvers.  To  yoiir  e\ e  they  were.  I'nt 
<u)(l,  wltcii  he  sii])iiln'd  tluMii.  was  I'rceiiiiZ  olln'r  lahorers  for 
vonr  hiirlier  and  wider  uses,  to  In^  your  men  of  ingennity  and 
of  trade,  and  of  k  tiers.  And  lie  pnnishcs  your  iinkindness, 
hv  such  ii  chainje  of  the  duties  of  your  own  iieople.  that  iVom 
the  imknown  rcuioiis  of  what  might  have  been,  yon  have  kept 
artists  and  j  oets.  and  statesineii.  who  were  coining  in  npoii 
yon,  of  your  own  blood  and  land  and  lineatrc  ^'on  h;ive 
chained  them  to  the  spade,  and  tiie  harrow,  and  the  pickaxe. 
For  if  yon  will  not  let  t'le  foreiizner  stand  upon  your  land 
even  to  hew  your  wood  or  lo  draw  vonr  water,  yon  will  chain 
dovvii  to  that  .service  tlie  |}iirns,  the  Phaedrns,  the  llonifr, 
who  misht  have  risen  and  trinmplieii  among  yonr  own  sons! 

It  is  said,  ol'ieii,  that  without  these  eniiLrraiits,  wc;  could  not 
liave  liad  our  rail-roads  and  canals.  We  slioiild  have  lost 
some  of  them;  some  we  must  have  had.  We  should  have 
li)st  higher  retiiiemeiits  entirely.  To  reduce  these  general 
proposiiions  to  illustrations,  siudi  features  of  civilization  as 
are  ilarjiers'  priniinu;  csiablisliiiH:iits;  as  tiio  AihennMim 
Tiibrary,  or  the  Observatory  at  Cambridge,  or  any  new.'^paper 
in  |}ostoti  could  not  liave  licen  called  into  being  in  tlieir  pres- 
ent perl'ect  form,  had  not  this  nation  had  the  free  gifts  for 
years  of  these  millions  of  men  and  women  of  work,  for 
whose  nnrsins,  training,  and  growth  it  had  never  paid  a 
penny,  its  ch.arizes  for  iheir  lew  sick  and  poor,  are  but  the 
merest  entrance  fees,  for  the  registry  of  a  tnlmle  to  it  of  ims- 
timahle  value.  ■'' 

It  is  true,  that  to  attain  tin;  full  use  of  this  uift,  the  einit:raiif 
must  be  cared  lor.  in  other  words,  the  country  must  open  its 
hand  lo  receive  the  oUering  of  I'^uropc.     1  have  been  hoping  to 

*  See  Appnndi.'c  B. 


;j7 


ork  is 

ill)    \\•^\ 

not  do 
ri"  imu'- 
Iho.'-c 
aiiizii- 
ir  civ- 

f|IKU-- 

'•tiiiiis. 

mid 

rcsscd 

•U'llOll 

)  lliiicli 
!i  \v"'r(' 
r.  Ihn 
crs  (oi- 
ly :iiid 
idiif'ss, 

It  iVdlH 
C   Iv'fpt 

I  upon 
lavo 
ck;ixo. 
r  land 
rhaiii 
loiiipi-j 

sOllv;  ' 


show  soiuctliiiig  of  the  way  in  which  this  is  to  be  done.  The, 
straimor  cannot  serve  the  conntry  while  he  is  a  stianser.  lie 
niiisi  he  a  part  of  it.  He  innsi,  for  tlie  purpose  we  sprlc,  profit 
hy  Ihe  measure  of  its  civihzaiion.  He  inii.st  he  dn'eetcd  by  iis 
iutrlhirence.  His  children  nuist  crow  np  in  its  insiitnlnttis. 
lie  must  he,  not  in  a  clan  in  a  city,  sinronnded  hy  his  own 
race.  That  is  only  to  try  a  little  longer  the  experiment  which 
for  centuries  has  failed.  He  nuist  plunge,  or  be  phuigcd,  into 
his  new  hoi'-!!. 

And,  therefore,  as  I  have  intimated  already,  private  action 
and  public  policy  in  this  matter  should  unite  to  "stimulate 
the  absorbents,"'  that  each  little  duel,  the  country  throuah, 
may  drink  its  shar<',  of  those  drops  which  some  do  not  taste  at 
all.  of  the  perpetual  Westward  Hood,  as  it  comes  in. 

'Inhere  is  no  reason  for  despair  ahont  thi.s.  The  proress  goes 
on  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  is  generally  supposed.  It  is 
true  we  hear  most  of  the  claimed  Irish  in  the  large  cities. 
This  is  of  course.  They  are  the  only  ])art  of  the  emigration 
from  whom  we  can  hear  mucli.  Hut,  from  a  hasty  com- 
parison of  memoranda,  I  should  say  that  there  were  not 
more  than 

120,000  of  Irish  birth  in  New  York  city. 


:^o,ooo 

(i 

Hoston, 

:5o.ooo 

(i 

Philadelphia, 

io!ooo 

u 

J  Baltimore, 

10.000 

i: 

Providence, 

8,000 

u 

Lowell. 

Of  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  and  St.  Louis,  I  cannot  speak; 
but  I  doubt  if  in  any  other  place  in  America,  there  is  a  larger 
clan  than  tlie  least  of  these. 

The  total  of  these ;  say  2.")0,000,  leaves  nearly  2,000,000 
Irish  born  emigrants,  who  have  been  scattered  up  atid  down, 
in  smaller  localities,  through  the  land. 

So  much  has  been  done.  Every  consideration  of  humanity 
and  policy  deniands  that,  by  every  means  the  process  should 
be  carried  farther,  ont  to  tb(!  least  subdivision  possible. 

Private  men  may  do  their  duly  to  the  emigration,  by  em- 
ploying, training,  teacliing  and  directing  the  emigrant;  even 
to  the  |(oint  of  making  work  on  purpose  to  employ  him.  He, 
who  takes  the  newest  comer  does  most.  Of  such  men,  Mr. 
Davis,  of  whom  1  have  spoken,  in  j\ew  Jersey,  working  for 
his  own  interest,  is  still  working  for  Mie  country,  and  seems  to 
be  our  foremost  hero.  She  who  ter  s  a  servant  girl  to  read 
does  a  great  deal.  The  family  whicu  adopts  an  orphan  of  the 
toreign  blood  does  tnoro  than  its  share.     P^r.  as  1  liave  said. 


i!f 


:)0 

the  proportion  as  yet  is  but  eight  einigraiits  to  every  huiuh-ed 
natives. 

The  State  slionkl  stop  at  once  its  ellort  to  sweep  tlieni  hack. 
It  eauMOt  do  it.  It  oiijjiht  lift  to  du  il.  It  shuukl  welcome 
ihein  :  reiiisler  them ;  send  them  at  (Mice  to  the  hihor  needing 
regions:  care  lor  them  if  siek  ;  and  end.  by  a  system,  all  that 
mass  of  unsystematic  statute  which  handles  them  as  outcasts 
or  I'aruihs. 

The  I'Vderal  CJovernmcnt.  having  all  the  jiower,  should  use 
it :  not  L'l-owliiig  in  its  manger,  as  it  does,  and  only  hindering 
tliose.  upon  whom,  in  its  nesdigence,  the  duty  falls. 

And  .Nation.  Slate,  or  man  should  feel  that  the  Kinigration 
is  till-  ureatest  instead  of  the  hast  element  of  our  material 
prosperity;  an  clement  which  should  brace  us  to  meet  and 
handle  aliy  diliiculties,  real  or  fancied,  whicli  it  may  bring  to 
our  mstitutious  of  politics  or  of  religion. 


PI10VI> 

( 


Ma!.' 
piiov 


Mai 


59 


A  P  P  E  N  D  I  X , 


[A.     Pac.i:  2'.]. I 


I  K  I  S  H     C  K  N  S  U  S , 


1'110VIN'"K  (IF  LKINSTKU. 

(Jarlow, 

Droghcda  Town, 
Dublin  City, 
Diililiii, 
K'lldaro, 
KilUoiiiiy  City, 
Killvciiiiy, 
Kin::s. 
1. 01  iL' ford, 
Lowtli, 
.Ale;itli. 
Uuociis, 
Wostincat'ii, 
^Vex^l)l■d, 
Ulow, 


U  ICKl 


1811.  [.^       " 
1G.201 

MO.UlT 
111,188 

lu.uri 
is:].:;i'.t 

1  U>,^.")T 

ll:").!'.)! 

i^;j,8'is 
i.-,;5'.>30 

I  ll.'.^Dtt 

1:J(). !  Ki 


(ittl 


I. 


;! 


Males,  !)03,7 17 


Females,  l,000,US.l  ;  \  Males,  811,6-J 


PlinVINCK  OF  Ml'NSTKIl. 

(;i;u'i', 
Cork  City, 


Cork, 
Kerry, 
Limerick 
Limerick, 
'ip|ier;iry. 


/ 1 .) 


City, 


Wiiterlord  City, 
NVaierlbrd, 

Totul. 
Males,  1,180,190;  Fein 


2S(),:wi 

3'JS 

.IS.-.UM 
2SL():!8 

.i;]5.55:5 

172,«»71 
:>,3ft(i,UU 


1851,  [March  31.1 
()8. 1  ")T 
1().h76 
251,8r.U 

•)C)(j27 

2(),~'8;i 
i;','.).9:m 

8;;,.i'.i^< 

inu,rn' 

isnjro 

'.)'.);^87 

1  .(■.()7,77 1 

;   Females,  8r)t),118. 
212,721) 


;.>;)1 


.").")  208 
2llL(il'.> 

■i2:^:829 

2C),t)('»7 
135,S]f. 


1.8:51.817 


lies,  l,'.20y!o71.'  I  Mak8,  893,491  ;  FemalcB, 938,3^0. 


<iO 


M 


V 


l^ 


niOVINCK    (IK    VL.-jTKIl. 

Antrim.  tiTill^S 

riiKiuli,  4-1, ..)'.•■> 

HellaM.  :.-).;!lK 
Carrickrercu.s  Town,        '.i.;J7'J 

< 'avail.       "  2l:{l.')S 

Donoual,  ;i'.it).  1  IS 

Down.  ;!('.l.l!l') 

Fcriiiaiiach,  l.")!).  ISl 

],iiii(loii(leriv,  2'2'i.\T  I 

-AloiKi-liaii,"  2(H»..11:> 

Tyrone,  •3\2,\K)6 


•,)'.t.))(i(t 

^,iss 

174.30:5 

:;ir  7:s 
n;").'.t:8 

I '.1 1,7  I! 
lliMlo 


Total.                  2,3SC,.:J73 

2.0(11,289. 

Males,  1,101,7'J7;  Females,  1,224,570.  j  Males, 974,235 

Females,  1,030,0,V1 

PROVINCE    OF    COSNAUOHT. 

(ialway,                         •122,02:] 

21)8. 121» 

Gal  way  Town,                17.27.'> 

2liC)*.)7 

I.oitriin,                          1. ').'). 2'.i7 

111,808 

.Alayo,                             3^8, S^7 

271.710 

Rosconniion,                 2.'):],r)91 

ir3,7<)8 

►Sligo,                               ISO.HSG 

12S,7C.1I 

Tnt; 


1.118.8.-)9 


Males,  707,M2;  Females,  711,017.  |  Males,  41)7,378; 

(jirand  Total  Ireland,      8,17;"), 121 
:\lalos,  l,019,.57r) 

Females,  4,15.'>,.518 


1,011. dm; 

Females,  514,53!). 
(),.',!. 5, 7<J-1 

3,170,727 
3,33U,007 


'i 


i 
i 


(SI 


1?.J 


rUOPORTIONS    OK    OllUilNAl,    HACKS    IN    AMEKICA. 

In  writiiif,'  those  letters  to  the  l>osloii  Daily  Ailvovtiscr.  I 
attempted  to  confine  niyselt'  to  tlie  lacts  wliicli  diiTc-lly  allect 
leL'islaiion  or  chantalile  action.  Tliere  is,  however,  a  cnrioiis 
([ncslion  as  to  the  ellect  to  ho  produced  on  National  chara'Mer, 
hy  the  nitcrnnxtnre  of  hlood  and  race  jirodnccd  hy  such  large 
eniiuralion  as  we  see. 

What  I  have  said  in  my  last  letter  has  heen  carefully 
guarded,  so  as  to  refer  everywhere  to  the  ahsohitely  inivii.nd 
('elticrace.  Of  its  value  as  intermixed,  I  iiave  spoken  as 
hiahly  as  I  could.  An  anxious  question  is  asked,  however, 
hy  men  of  the  old  American  hlood,  whether  there  is  not  an 
over-pre])ondera!icc  of  the  Celtic  element  coming  in  upon  ns  .^ 

1  do  not  profess  to  answer  the  question.  It  rests  on  the 
]M-ior  question,  how  far  the  origin  of  the  native  American 
hlood  is  (,'eltic.  In  what  projiortions  do  the  Celtic  and  CJolhic 
or  (Jcrinanic  elements  mingle  in  the  Jlnglishman  of  to-day, 
and  of  course  iii  the  American  of  to-day  I 

Dr.  Komhst  estimates  in  IS  11,  that  tlicre  are  of 

piu-e  (;e;Mian  hlood  in  England,  U»,l)U(»,000 

Of  mixed  hlood,  where  the  Teutonic   prevailed 

in  England  and  the  north-east  of  Ireland.  t>,(HJl),U(IU 

()f  mixed  blood,  where  the  Celtic  prevailed  in 

England,  .Scotland  and  Ireland,  ■1,(K)0,0()() 

And    of  pure   Celtic,   in   Scotland,   Wales   and 

Ireland,  G,()00,()0() 

IJut  Dr.  Latham,  with  more  reason,  I  think,  doubts  tiie 
purity  of  any  Germanic  blood  in  England,  saying  that  "a 
vast  amount  of  Celticism  not  found  in^)ur  tongue,  very  prob- 
ably exists  in  our  pedigrees."  And  in  another  place  he  .-^ays, 
that  in  nine-tenths  of  the  displacements  of  races  made  by  con- 
q!iest,  the  femalehalf  of  tlie  ancestry  of  the  present  inhabitant.s 
must  have  belonged  to  the  beaten  race.  I  think  the  iiistory  of 
the  Saxon  invasions  is  such  as  to  give  color  to  this  idea  in  the 
case  of  Eimland.  And  I  am  not  sure,  but  what  it  could  be 
made  out,  that  the  American  people,  before  the  recent  Irish 
invasion,  showed  in  their  proportion  of  black-liaired  men,  of 


<)2 

(lurlc  complexion,  and  otlirr  (Vltic  siiiiis  that  as  laru'c  a  irar- 
tioii  as  two-thirds  ot'  its  liloud  ran,  in  the  (hulc  aiirs  ol"  the  past, 
lit  Celtic  veins. 

It'  this  ho  so, — il'the  pi-oportinii.  two-thiiils  ( 'rllic  to  oiie-thiiil 
(iothioor  (Jernianie.  is  the  jiroporiidii  wliirh  makes  up  thai 
••pert'eot  whole.'"  tin"-  "trne  Aineiiean."  which  enll^ill('l•s  itselt 
so  iniieh  liner  than  either  of  the  iiuncdieiits,  tlio  reeeiit  cniiL-ra- 
lions  t'lirnish  a  happy  roineideiiee  wuh  the  original  law.  h'or 
live  past  years,  the  arrivals  at  .New  \nyU.  which  are  liirei  - 
t'oiinhs  the  whole  and  represent  it  in  kiid  exactly,  have  heeu 
."  I7.17l>  lri>li  :  'i''^.  l.')^  (iemians:  |.':!.'.it'>'.»  llnirli.sh  and  Scotch: 
71. o.')'.*  others.  ,\(iw  keep  these  71. l!.''.*  '•others'  Cor  condi- 
ments in  the  mixtisre.  'riioro  f ;,'  .Norwegians  and  l-'rciich. 
iJelLiiaiis  and  Spaniards.  Swiss  and  Italians,  liaUiiiecd  airainsr 
each  other,  (and  a  l'(  w  Mauyar.v)  The  l-Iiiiilish.  ot'  course, 
ue  need  not  count  :  hut  ol'  pure  C'(>lts  and  pure  <ierrnans  we 
have  to  a  Iraciinii  jiist  two  to  one:  and  in  that  proportion  are 
tiiey  to  allect  the  hlood  ol  the  American  people. 

'riiis  compntatioti,  which  I  had  yiri'pared  hefore  I  read  a 
courteous  article  in  liie  American  L'dl,  of  .Ian.  -Ilh,  will  per- 
haps show  to  the  writer  of  that  paper,  that  we  are  not  so  far 
apart  in  our  views  as  he  supposcih 


[C.| 

The  valuable  statistics  below  from  M.  H.  Perley.  I'lsi]  , 
l-mii:rant  Inspector  at  St.  .hihns.  came  into  my  possession  as 
this  sheet  was  passing  the  jjress.  ii  is  too  late  for  me-  to  in- 
corporate them  into  the  text,  but  I  :i:u  iil.ifl  to  insert  them  liere. 

'i'he  abstract  return  of  Mmi'iratiou  to  Aew  Ilninswick  dur- 
ing the  year  ending  :!1  Dec.  isijl,  is  as  follows  : — 


Qii.irier. 


-   tr 


'i'lrr  ending  .Marchai.  i 

■•     juMu    .'in  an  I    r, 

'■       Snpl.     ;i(l.  11   ,      1 

"       Dec.     31.  :> 


I'lOtwoi-ii      Lr.iler  ~ : 

AJullJ.     IKVIyr      1  yc.ir.      Tol.ils.     "i 


Kec.ijiiCii. 


-         M 


Toials— !  43 


1'    j  M 


~i;»  7r,)]  271  v!7;!"  n^t 
317  ;ki;i  i-\  iiii  21 

73      7:ii     3'^|     33       1 


F.     M  I  I-.    is 


:i7  :ii3i;in7i'.i2nr.  Mnips    i;-:t 

21      .VI'.i;  •!!■!>  |(l^!^•ernulc^'^■.-| 


3  I  1239  ll(;2l  4S7'  A",    63  I  til 


IIOj    UN    217 

:-r'  KWi  :ii7. 


Total  3170 


lales  IfWI 


..i:i!  :ii:n 


Till'    Ilniipration    lo  tins  I'rovince  lliicUiatcs  v(My   imu-Ii 
during  llie  last  ten  ycar.s  it  lias  boon  as  Ibllows : — 


Souls. 

S)iils. 

ISJi, 

S.:',;i(l 

1S.17, 

I()'i.')l 

|s|;!, 

:!'.i'i 

ISIS, 

1,1  1! 

ISjl, 

LM  ■.'.».'. 

1S|«», 

LM'.n 

isi.-,, 

(),i:!:5 

|S.-,(), 

i..'iir 

ISlC), 

UCi.")? 

is.-,i, 

:;,  170 

( )f  tbc  Mtni grants  of  IS.'il,  about  oiin-b;ill'  pmrcedod  to 
the  I'liitod  iSlalfs  at  oiico.  llicir  pussM^n  uioiiny  boiuu  paid 
tbrontih,  by  liifiids  rcsidiii;^;  tliorc.  All  the  Einiurunls  of  last 
.-cas(Mi  won^  from  Irchuid. 

Tin;  arrivals  in  Canada  during  tlu!  s(>asou  of  l**.';!,  bavo 
bci'U  returned  by  Mr.  Ibiclnuian  in  llit;  ioll()wiiig  (ioiiiparativc 
tbrni,  between  i^.'O  and  IS.'jI,  distinguiisiiing  their  several 
countries : — 


IS. 

■)(). 

isr,i. 

Cabin. 

Steerage. 

Cabin. 

Steerage 

Mngland,       :^03 

<»,(•)  IS 

2Sl 

<»,.|f|l 

Ireland,         IJKl 

17.75."> 

ICC) 

2-^,:!()l 

Scotland,      ^(11) 

2.' 70'.) 

I'^i 

O.S'.i^ 

Continent, 

851 

a 

'so  I 

Lower  Ports,    (> 

695 

12 

1,0<*1 

Tot; 


lis 


Sl'.l  JI,f);i8 


0'i5      'lO,C)'ir> 


Totalin  1S.")0,3;^,'117.  Total  1851,41,270.  Increase,S.S:i3  Souls. 

The  nunibcr  arrived  in  Canada  during  the  last  ten  years 
are  as  follows  : — 


Souls. 

Souls. 

1812, 

4l,:}7.| 

1817, 

80,-151 

isi;j, 

21,727 

ISIS, 

27,939 

1811, 

21),  11 3 

1819, 

38,. '191 

18-J5, 

2.J..S75 

1850, 

32,117 

1840, 

32,753 

1S51, 

41,270 

Of  the  Emigrants  landed  in  Cana<la  in  1S51,  it  is  estimated 
that  4,000  remained  in  Lower  Canada  ;  IS  515  settled  in  Can- 
ada West;  and  the  residue  passed  on  to  the  United  States, 
some  from  want  of  employment,  but  the  greater  portion  in  pur- 
suance of  their  original  design  when  they  left  Ireland,  having 
adopted  the  St.  Lawrence  as  the  shortest  and  cheapest  route 
lo  Wisconsin. 


(i 


'I'll!'  iiiiiiiI'iM-  of  r.iiii^rajits  the  pnst  y<'!ir  in  Nova  Scon,!. 
Nc\vtituii(ll;iiiil.  .'iiiil  Priiico  Mdward  Lshiiid.  Iins  iis  usiiiil  Ih'i'I' 
vn-y  siii.ill.  'I'liiTf  IS  no  MiiiiLTalioii  (  Mlirc  in  pitlicr  of  llinv, 
Culoircs.  llir  t'liai  nilllil<tM' ol'  lluili^l'iilUs  Id  all  ol'  lluMII,  Unl 
:n:i(iiiiiiin:^  to  .'ii'M  aniiiiallv. 


I'M 

Thf  lliiirli>li  Spain  of  diet  is  iiK-oncctly'  sialcd  in  the  stToiiiI 
of  llu'sr  liMlcrs.  I  dflt'L'Icd  tlic  error  loo  hitc  tocornct  ll  ill  Us 
|)l;ii';'.     'I'lir  inic  rt'tinl.ilinn  is  the  rullinvint!; :  — 

••  In  addiiiiiii  ll)  any  prov  UNions  uhifli   the   |);issi'net'rs  nia\ 
llicmsi'lvt's    hniii:.    tin'    rtillnwuiir  (inanlilics   al    Irasl    ol'    |)iuf 
watrr,  and  u'liii|i'>oni(!  provisions  nuist  beMipplicd  to  oacli  pas- 
si'iiL't-r  liy  tin:  master  duriiii,'  the  voyage,  iiicliidiiii!:  Ui(>  time  of 
doteiitiuii  at  any  place: — 

:>  ([iiarts  of  water  daily. 

'i  1-2  lbs  of  bread  or  biscnit, 

|nni  interior  to  navy  biscnit. |  ])or  wrclc. 

1  lb.  wliealli'-n  llolir,  To  be  issued 
a  lbs.  Oa  I  meal,                                         *■        in  advance, 

2  lbs.  Rice,  and  not  less 
ti  oz.  tea,  often  than 
i-'i  lb.  SiiL'ar,  twice  a 
]-'l  lb.  ]\b)lasses.  week. 


Fiye  lbs.  of  good  potatoes  may  at  tlu^  option  of  the  nia.<.ter  be 
snbsiitiited  for  one  lb  of  oatmeal  or  rice,  and  in  ships  .sailinu; 
from  1  .iverpool,  or  I'roin  Irish  or  Scoich  ports,  oaimeal  may 
be  snbsiitnted  in  ecpial  (piantities  for  the  whole  or  any  part  ol" 
the  issnes  of  rice.  The  Mmigration  ( "oinmissioiiers,  uith  the 
aiitliorily  of  the  Secretary  of  ."^late,  mav  siibstitnt(^  oilier  arti- 
cles of  food.  Sec.  2\  and  :i.">  of  Isi  Act:  and  ^^ec.  :i  of  '.iiid 
Act. 


s 


